Unexpected Consequences
by Winter Yuy
Summary: Sequel to Peace is Threatened. Written w/Firstorm. Thunder gets taken back to Germany. Five are chosen to leave and join forces. Will they succeed? R
1. Chapter One

Disclaimers: We own our on characters.

                                                            Unexpected Consequences

It had been six months since Flash Michaels and Thunder Copiel had left to back to America. Since then, things had returned back to normal for the Ronin Warriors and Lady Ronin Guardians. After returning home from the airport, Rekino and her Guardians had started training with their non-armor magic's. They had succeeded in being about to use them in and out of subarmor and armor. Ryo had insisted that he and Rekino trained with the Armor of Infernory just incase something came back to haunt them, like Mesu did. For the past six months, they mastered the Infernory, but not without some consequences. Both were drained of physical and mental energy from using it so much.  
  
The day is February 2nd. All Guardians and Ronins had decided to take a day off from training to rest. Rekino was sitting in the computer room playing solitaire. Ryo was helping Mia with the groceries due to her current condition. Josephine and Cye were in the living room watching television. Rowen and Amaya had gone out to buy some movies for everyone to watch. Sage and Hana were out in the back yard practicing sword techniques while Kento was watching.  
  
Inside the computer room, Rekino let out a long sigh. She was getting bored playing solitaire, but it was the only thing she had to go. Her lover was out renting movies while she was stuck here at home with nothing to do. With another long sigh, she closed the game out and sat in silence. She glanced over at the phone beside the computer. She was about to reach for it when someone barged in the room. She screamed and threw the closest object she could find, a hole puncher. When she saw who it was, she grunted.  
  
"Dammit, Rekino!"  
  
"Sorry, bro, but you scared me!" Rekino said and walked over to Ryo to inspect the damage she inflicted on him. Her mouth twisted and she apologized again, "I'm so sorry. You've got quite a knot there."  
  
"You should've just knocked me out!" Ryo complained, "better than hearing her bitch at me all day long."  
  
Rekino smiled and helped her brother back up, "Well, you shouldn't of knocked her up," She sat back down in the chair and laughed, "I must say, you don't wait, do ya bro?"  
  
Ryo frowned, "I told you it was an accident! How many times do I have to say it? A-C-C-I-D-E-N-T!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I forgave you on one condition. If evil invades again and tries to take over the world, I'm kicking your ass for making one of my Guardians an invalid!"  
  
Ryo sighed and leaned up against the wall, "You told me that already. Anyways, do you know of any quick sleeping methods? I need some rest and Mia's killing me."  
  
Before Rekino could open her mouth, a shrill made the siblings cringe in horror. It was Mia, "RYO!"  
  
"Shit, hide me!" Ryo said. He ran behind Rekino's chair and ducted down. He heard the door open and saw Mia's legs in the doorway. _God, I'm dead._  
  
"Rekino, have you seen your brother? He's seemed to disappear on me," Mia said nicely.  
  
The raven-haired woman smiled evilly. She had two choices. One, keep Ryo's hiding place a secret. Or two, tell Mia where he was. She didn't know what to do. With a sigh, she stood up and moved the chair away to find Ryo crouching in the fetal position. Rekino looked at Mia and held out her hands, "He's all yours, Lady."  
  
Mia smiled at Rekino and walked over to grab Ryo by the ear. Her inflated belly made it nearly impossible for her to bend down on her own. She pulled Ryo up by his ear, "I wasn't done with you yet. You're still suppose to put the cans in the cabinets and then help me cook supper."  
  
"Why can't Cye do it?" Ryo yelped when Mia twisted his ear, "Ouch! Dammit Mia, don't pull so hard."  
  
"Then quit complaining and help me!" Mia yelled. She dragged Ryo out and turned back to Rekino, "Thanks, I owe ya one."  
  
Rekino winked, "No problem," She smiled and sat back down in the chair. She thought about how much she missed Flash and Thunder. Ever since they had left, she didn't want to do anything. She missed them dearly and would love to see them again. With the thought in her head, she picked up the phone and dialed the number that she had memorized months back.  
  
  
  
A young woman answered the phone in the large mansion just behind the black iron fence. She had been busy cooking something to eat for her young twins, Cammy and Sammy. The twins were in the living room, their attention averted on the television show Barney.   
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi. Um, is Flash there?" came a young girl's foreign voice from the other end.  
  
"No, she's not, I'm afraid. She took off to her elderly friend's house the moment her sister and brother decided to watch Barney. I have the number there if you'd like to try there."  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
The woman gave the girl the number, and the girl thanked her, and soon hung up. And the woman returned to her cooking.  
  
  
  
Rekino stared at the new number she had written down. So Flash wasn't home. In a way she was nervous about calling the older girl. But she missed her, so she'd have to call her. With an anxious sigh she picked up the phone and dialed the new numbers. The phone rang about three times when a girl around her age answered the phone with a sweet voice that reminded her of Amaya, minus the French accent.   
  
"Hello, Chinook's residence. Chilie speaking. Can I help you?"  
  
"Um, is Flash there?" Rekino asked, holding her breath. She blinked as she could hear voices in the background.   
  
Scorpio sighed in agitation. He was Scandinavian with neck length orange brown hair that was usually unkempt, sky blue eyes, and a gold earring in his left ear. He and some of the other Warriors were all trying to watch a movie, when Ice, the African American Warrior, and an identical twin to his brother Snow, was blocking the TV.   
  
"Ice, would you please move? We want to see the show!"  
  
"Yeah, you're not a see through window!" Flash said.  
  
"Sheesh!" Ice grumbled, and headed into the kitchen.  
  
Chilie looked toward Flash. The leader of the Warriors was curled up in the big reclining chair, her eyes focused on the movie. She hated to interrupt but…"Flash! You have a phone call from someone named Rekino?"  
  
Flash looked toward her and her eyes lit up. She got off the chair and headed to Chilie and took the phone from her. "Hello? Rekino, hi! My gosh, it's been a long time! I know! So how are things? What, you're kidding me! Ryo and Mia are going to have a baby? That's great! Tell them I said congrats."   
  
Flash paused for a moment, allowing Rekino to talk more. They caught up on what had been happening in Rekino's, the other Guardians, and the Ronins' life, and now Rekino wanted to know what was happening with Flash and Thunder.  
  
"Well, nothing much really," Flash said. "I've won two basketball games for my team this year. I've been doing schoolwork mostly, training in case anything happens, you know. And I've been babysitting. Yeah, my dad's a businessman and travels around the world. Sometimes his wife goes with him, so I'm usually babysitting my younger siblings Sammy and Cammy for a few days. They're six. Terror demons. Seriously. Thunder? He's doing okay, but I think he's confused. He wants to see his real parents, but he's afraid to. No he's not here with us. At his grandparents' house. I'm not sure. He didn't want to come with us. Usually he does."  
  
  
  
Hana walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the cabinets. She got a glass and filled it up with water. She laughed at the site of Mia forcing Ryo to help her cook. Her midnight blue eyes glazed out of the window to see Kento and Sage training with one another. The Lady of Halo watched her counterpart as he dodged an attack from Kento. She couldn't help but notice that Sage had his shirt off and she started to follow the lines of his muscles. She let out a low whistle and drank her water. _Dammit Sage, why do you still have that affect on me? I thought that I got over him after Thunder left. Shit, I'm doomed to fall in love with that egotistical, puff headed, arrogant man._ Hana stopped her thoughts and looked over Sage again. _Oh yeah, he's definitely a man!_  
  
"Hey Hana, what's got you so distracted?" Mia asked. She waved a hand in front of Hana's face to get her attention, "Whom are you daydreaming about?"  
  
"No one," Hana said sadly. She sat down at the table and when she was about to put the cup to her lips, she busted out laughing. There, in the kitchen, was Ryo dressed in a pink and purple apron cooking supper, "Dear God Ryo, when did you turn on us?"  
  
Ryo blushed and ignored her comment. He turned redder when she walked over and pulled at the apron. He took his spoon and swatted her away, "Leave me alone."  
  
"Aw, the poor baby's upset," Hana said and pouted a little, "What's wrong? Did your panties get in a wad?"  
  
Ryo was about to turn and slap the living daylights out of her when Rowen and Amaya walked in. They had just returned from renting a couple of movies. Everything went silent. Ryo felt his cheeks rise with more heat and he turned away. Rowen and Amaya busted out laughing at the site of the Ronin Leader in an apron.  
  
"Ryo, buddy, I didn't know your past time was cross-dressing. I would've gotten you a dress for your birthday instead of that CD," Rowen stated in between his laughter.  
  
That had gotten everyone's attention. Josephine and Cye came bounding into the kitchen only to fall on the floor with laughter. Kento and Sage came in through that back door with their training weapons, which had to be used for support. Hana was holding the pregnant Mia while they too were laughing.  
  
"Kento, go get the camera!" Josephine called out to her older cousin.  
  
The Hardrock warrior started to run for the door, but, when Ryo tried to stop him, he hit the handle to the red beans and rice he was cooking. It flew across the kitchen.  
  
Rekino came into the room at about that time, "Hey guys, guess who I just got through…" The dish that Ryo had been cooking made its way to the other side of the room. The Lady of Wildfire didn't have time to move before it landed right on her head. The whole room went silent. Rekino started to slowly twitch. She moved her hand to her hair to see what had landed on her. She slowly stopped breathing.  
  
"Oh God…" Mia said.  
  
Sage, Hana, and Kento, being closest to the back door, slowly made their way out. Amaya ran behind the chair. Mia grabbed Ryo and put him in front of her as a shield. She mouthed 'he did it' right in Rekino's direction. Cye and Josephine got under the table. Rowen, being the only one with enough guts to face Rekino, walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Rekino, breath and count backwards from ten," Rowen said. He was a little afraid of his lover. Okay, not a little. He was very afraid of her. She wasn't the best person to pick a fight with and she looked ready to kill, "Did you hear me?"  
  
"I'm. Working. On. It," Rekino said every word like it was one sentence. She started to breath, "Ten…nine…eight…ONE!" She made jumped over the table and landed right in front of Ryo. She was giving him her 'you're so dead' look. Rekino saw her older brother slightly laugh, "You think it's funny?"  
  
"Kinda…"  
  
Rekino spotted a freshly baked roast that had just got out of the over. By the looks of it, she could tell it was hot. She put a hand on Ryo's shoulder, "Brother, I don't want to scare you. Little sisters aren't meant for that. I forgive you."  
  
"You do?"  
  
The whole room looked like Japan had just been blown up. They were in shock.  
  
"You forgive him?" Cye asked.  
  
Rekino smiled sweetly. She hugged her older brother and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She pulled away and looked at Ryo with an evil gleam in her eye, "No!" Before he could move, Rekino picked up the hot roast and dumped the contents on Ryo's head.   
  
The whole room stood in semi-shock. Not a muscle moved, all eyes were on the siblings, all was quiet, and everyone could actually hear their own hearts beating against their chests. Finally Ryo broke the silence, "That was so mature, sis. And you say I act younger?"  
  
"You do!" Rekino retorted.  
  
"Do not!"  
  
"Do too, you child!"  
  
"Do not, you hussy!"  
  
"Do too, you jerk!"  
  
"Dingbat!"  
  
"Cretin!"  
  
"Hobat!"  
  
"Looser!"  
  
The room watched as the two called each other names back and forth. A snicker started here, then worked its way through the warriors, each one getting more and more louder until the room was exploding with laughter.   
  
  
  
Across the world locked away in his room and lying on his bed, Thunder was in deep thought. He was so confused he didn't know what to do. He knew his real parents were somewhere back in his home country, and he wanted to meet them, but he was afraid of the consequences. What could he do about it? Nothing seemed fair anymore. How did he become the lost Prince of Germany? He wondered. And why hadn't this been discovered when he was a lot younger. Why now? His head swirled with confusion and he closed his eyes.  
  
Downstairs, his grandparents, Mrs. and Mr. Copiel were very concerned about him. As far as they knew he had been up in his room most of the time since he had come home from Japan. He still acted normal in front of his friends most of the time, but Scorpio who also lived with them had noticed a change. They were hoping it didn't get any worse. If only he would talk to them.   
  
Mrs. Copiel let out a soft sigh and rose up from her chair. She walked into the kitchen and put on apron. _Perhaps some chocolate muffins would help him_, she thought. She hadn't made chocolate muffins for a while now. So it would be a treat to him. She got out her pans and mixing bowls and the ingredients to get started with.  
  
  
  
Chilie looked toward Flash curiously. The leader of the Warriors was focused on the movie Rush Hour 2, as were the rest of the Warriors. Chinook, their mentor, was in his private room. Finally Chilie spoke the question that was on her mind, "Flash, who was that girl? Was that one of your friends you met while in Japan?"  
  
Flash looked to her from the movie and nodded. "Yeah, her name's Rekino."  
  
"You said you and Thunder met ten of them?" Chilie asked again.  
  
"Yep. Five girls, five boys."  
  
"Were the guys hunks?" Chilie asked innocently.   
  
"Hate to break it to you, girl, but all of them are taken, by the other girls," Flash said.  
  
Chilie's face fell and she stuck out her lower lip. "Bummer!"  
  
And the room just laughed a bit before they all settled down and returned to watching the movie.  
  
  
  
Thunder heard a knock on his door and sat up. His grandmother was calling him. He climbed off his bed and opened his door, and looked down at his grandmother. "Yes, grandma?"  
  
"I made you some chocolate muffins, dear."  
  
Thunder had to smile and he hugged her. "Thanks, grandma." She hugged him back, and together they went downstairs. He greeted his grandfather in the German language and his grandfather greeted him back. Then he sat at the little kitchen table and enjoyed about four chocolate muffins and a cup of hot cocoa. He really did feel better, he decided. And then he happened to glance over at the calendar and he did a double take.   
  
"Oh no!"  
  
"What's wrong, Thunder dear?" his grandmother asked with concern.  
  
"I have Kendo competition in one hour!"   
  
Mrs. Copiel frowned. "Better get ready then, dear. I'll drive you."  
  
Thunder immediately jumped up from his seat and raced back upstairs.  
  
  
  
Back in Japan, Rekino had just finished getting out of the shower. She had scrubbed her hair for what seemed like ever to get the red beans and rice out. She put on her robe and plugged up her hair dryer. She knew it would take at least an hour to dry her thick, ankle length coal black hair. She let out a frustrated sigh and turned on the hair dryer. _I'm gonna kill Ryo! I swear, sometimes I think I'm adopted!_ Rekino didn't notice the lone figure in the doorway watching her, but she felt the power emanating from his body. She didn't have to think twice about who it was. She turned off the machine, "Hey sweetheart."  
  
"Hey yourself, darling," Rowen said sweetly and came up behind, "Why don't you just let it air dry?"  
  
Rekino had a blank expression on her face. She felt so stupid, "Good idea. I didn't even think about that. Glad you said something."  
  
Rowen turned her around and looked into her amethyst eyes. He had fallen in love with her more during the fight with Mesu, which he hardly thought was possible. In a week, they'd been dating for two years. He couldn't imagine his life without her. Coming back into reality, Rowen kissed Rekino lightly on the lips, "What would you do without me?"  
  
Rekino smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Plenty of things."  
  
"And that would be what?" Rowen asked and raised and eyebrow.  
  
"Oh, just date other people," Rekino let go of Rowen and made a beeline for the door. She always forgot that Rowen was faster than she was. In no time, she felt being hoisted into the air, "Hashiba! Put me down!" She felt herself being laid on the bed. Rowen was hovering over her with a gleam in his eyes, "I was just kidding about the whole date other people thing. You know I was. I love you too much."  
  
Rowen let out a small laugh, "I know you where, but how can I be so sure?"  
  
Rekino shrugged, "I dunno! Don't ask me things I'm not ready for!" The one thing she wasn't ready for was Rowen kissing her. The shock set itself in, but she eventually fell into the kiss.  
  
  
  
Downstairs, Hana sat down on the couch and stared to flip through the channels. She was bored. After the Rekino and Ryo incident, nothing exciting had happened. She checked ESPN to see if any good sports where on. Nope. She checked Soap Net to see if any good soap operas were on. Nope.   
  
"Damn! There ain't shit on!" Hana said aloud.  
  
At that time, Amaya walked into the living room looking like she could kill, "HANA!"  
  
The Lady Halo ducked just in time from being hit with a big butcher knife. She let out a sigh of relief, "Son of a…barking thing! Amaya, throwing sharp objects isn't cool!"  
  
Amaya smirked evilly, "Maybe that'll teach you a lesson. No swearing!" The French woman then left the living room and went back into the kitchen to finish supper.  
  
Hana repositioned herself back on the couch. She muttered something under her breath about 'damn French women and their beliefs' before she spotted something interesting on another sports channel, Chi Z 23. It was an America kendo tournament being held in right now, but broadcasting in Japanese. Hana always admired technology so she just sat back and watched. She noticed that the tournament was being broadcasted from San Francisco, California, the home of the Warriors. Her heart skipped a beat. _What if Thunder's participating in this?_  
  
After about an hour of watching other people get their butts kicked, Hana came to the conclusion that Thunder wasn't in this particular tournament. Besides, she liked yelling at people who weren't in sync with their mind and body. If she were there, the participants the lost would feel humiliated. Hana almost turned the channel when the announcer said the next fight.  
  
"Ladies and gentleman, give a warm welcome for our next two fighters. Brian Sides and Thunder Copiel!"  
  
Hana literally fell off the couch, which made a big thug. Her eyes were as big as saucers and they kept glued to the TV. Mia, Amaya, Cye, and the clean Ryo came out of the kitchen. Kento and Josephine came from the weightlifting room. Sage _ran_ out of the bathroom with Cye hot on his heels. Rowen came out of Rekino's bedroom buttoning his shirt, and Rekino followed shortly pulling on a pair of shorts.  
  
"What in the name of the pope happened?" Cye asked frantically.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Hana, what's wrong?" Sage asked.  
  
No answer.  
  
Josephine walked over to Hana and lightly smacked her on the cheek, "Hey, blondie, ya there?" She got agitated when Hana didn't answer, "HEY! Listen to me Helen Keller! Are you home?" Josephine asked, doing sign language.  
  
The only response they got from Hana was the raising of a hand towards the TV. Nine pairs of eyes and a tiger all glanced with curiosity. They had to do a double take. It was Thunder, on the TV, and he was fighting, which looked to be like a tournament of some sort. Sage immediately recognized the fighting style as Kendo. They all moved to some place to watch the fight in silence. 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: *yawns* whatever…

                                    Unexpected Consequences 

Chapter 2

Thunder stood facing his foe, his nodatchi held between his eyes in a relaxed grip. He was very calm, and intense at the same time, focused on the tournament. He knew his grandparents, his friends, and his mentor were among the crowds in the bleachers that were all watching him. He had to remain focused completely, and not let anything slip him up.  
  
His opponent was also staring back at him. There was a sweat going down his face. Then the whistle sounded and the two began to duel. Their swords moved back and forth, clanging against one another, the sounds echoing across the building, the each one trying to outdo the other, but never actually trying to harm each other. Finally after what seemed to be an eternity, Thunder was able to dislodge Brian's sword from him. He had won. They both bowed respectfully to each other, and Brian headed off the mats. Then the referee turned to the crowds.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Thunder Copiel will now perform his Way of the Sword dance. Please keep your applaud down and your voices quiet until he completes these delicate and complex moves."  
  
The entire audience had grown extremely silent. Thunder stepped forward, and then began to demonstrate his moves, carefully doing each one correctly. His motion was perfect, graceful. It was as if he were dancing with the most beautiful music that was being played. Each step was done carefully and with beauty. He kept his mind focused on his movements as his muscles flexed with the dancing of the Way of the Sword.  
  
  
  
Hana couldn't take her eyes off the man on the television screen. She couldn't contain herself any longer, "Dear God in heaven! Look at him! He's so hott! I'm gonna land that someday!"  
  
"You horny toad!" Rekino said and popped her in the back of the head, "You're the main reason people invented condoms."  
  
Kento couldn't resist his outburst, "Yeah, but Ryo and Mia didn't pay attention that invention! I even rhymed!"  
  
Ryo's face turned completely red with anger, "You're so dead!" He got up abruptly and started to chase Kento around the house.  
  
Mia was frowning, "I hope Ryo kicks his butt. I would, but I'm in no condition too."  
  
Rekino and the others, except Hana, were dying with laughter. The Halo Guardian kept her eyes glued to the television as she watched Thunder end his routine. She kept an inward smile to herself. _I miss you Thunder. I just don't believe that you would miss me. If you can hear my thoughts by our element link, take care and tell Flash I said hello._  
  
  
  
"You were great!" Flash exclaimed as she hugged her tall friend. They all gathered around him the moment he had left his locker room, and were all congratulating him. Scorpio kept whooping, Ice pounded his back, Chilie hugged him as well, T-boz smiled and congratulated him as well, Snow patted his shoulder excitedly, and Shades just congratulated him with a nod of her head. Though Shades did not look it, she was really happy for the German.  
  
"Congratulations, Thunder," Chinook said calmly with a bow. Thunder bowed back to him.   
  
"Thank you, Master Chinook."  
  
After a bit of exchanges the group began to split up. Thunder held his trophy in his hand. It was the fourth trophy he had won this past year. As he was leaving the building he thought he heard a voice in his head. It sounded familiar to him, but who was it from? Then he remembered. _Hana…_   
  
"Thunder, are you coming dear?" his grandmother called to him gently. Thunder looked in her direction and nodded, and headed to her, then climbed in the medium sized blue car. Scorpio was already in the backseat, fumbling with his seatbelt for a while until he finally got it to snap shut for him.   
  
Thunder closed his door and buckled up as his grandmother got in the front passenger seat. They all heard a honk, and all of them looked toward the left of the car where the Michaels' cars had pulled up beside theirs.  
  
"Hey, I'll see you two at school tomorrow," Flash said.   
  
"We see you too, Thunder and Scorpio!" came two voices from across Flash. It was Sammy and Cammy.  
  
The two boys nodded. "Yeah, we'll be there," Thunder promised. He wanted to tell her what he had heard Hana say, but he couldn't do it in front of his grandparents or Scorpio. They wouldn't understand. Not yet anyway. He'd have to tell her when he had a better chance. The cars soon drove off from one another, heading in different directions.  
  
Each of the Warriors was heading for their own places. T-boz was riding back to her hosts, given a ride by Chilie and her aunt, Snow and Ice went home with their parents, and their younger sister, Flash went home with her dad, her stepmother, and the twins, and Thunder and Scorpio were headed back to the Copiels. All were exhausted at it being 10:00 P.M. at night. And all planned to get a good night's rest.  
  
  
  
In the kingdom of Germany, an old looking man sat beside his wife as they finished watching a Kendo tournament on the television. The winner seemed to intrigue them. They knew who it was, but refused to believe it. He was alive. Both of them were happy, but the man seemed rather struck when he saw the young man being swarmed by people, whom where hugging and touching on him.  
  
"What would you like for me to do, my Lord Thaitus?" The woman asked. She looked a bit younger that her husband. She had light blonde hair that fell to her shoulders.  
  
"My Lady Lila, order us a flight to that place. Those commoners must never be allowed to touch the heir again!" The man bellowed out with a slamming of his fist.  
  
"As you wish," The woman, Lila, stood from her throne and made her way to find her guards.  
  
  
  
Back at the house, Thunder had just gotten out of the shower and was dressing while Scorpio took his turn in the bathroom. After dressing in a pair of red boxers and a muscle shirt he had sat down his bed, deep in thought. Should he contact Hana and talk to her? He didn't know. He let out a deep sigh. The house was quiet, except the shower running down the hall. His grandparents were all ready in bed and trusted the boys to sleep soon themselves. He glanced at his clock. 10:15 now. He wondered if Hana would be up. He decided to try and talk with her. He just hoped he wouldn't freeze up from his intense shyness.  
  
_'Hana?_' He called out softly through the link. 

In the bathroom, Scorpio had finished showering and was dressing in his boxers. He left his shirt on, and brushed his hair out, then his teeth. He was quite tired, but awake enough to complete the simple task of good hygiene and cleaning up the bathroom. With a yawn, he finished up, and headed for the room he shared with Thunder.  
  
  
  
Flash was already sound asleep in her bed, with Blaze sleeping on the floor beside her, and her stepmother's cat asleep at her feet. The mansion was all silent, including her dad's annoying dogs, as she put them as. She was in a comfortable sleep, and so far nothing would wake her. Well, at least hopefully nothing would.  
  
  
  
T-boz was just getting ready for bed herself. She took off her white headband and laid it on the dresser and undid her long black braids, then brushed her long thick black hair out. She was yawning continuously and couldn't wait to fall asleep soon. It had been such a long day. She got into her nightgown, putting her traditional Indian clothes in the laundry basket, and shut the light off. Soon she was fast asleep.  
  
  
  
The twins were both getting ready for bed in their own homes. Snow was putting away his chemistry books and his molecule model away as Ice grabbed one last sandwich from the fridge, and ate it. Both twins quickly showered, brushed their teeth, bid goodnight to their parents, and headed to their room.  
  
  
  
Shades was reading a book while lying on her cot in her room above the baker's shop. She had some fresh baked cookies he had given to her, an extra tip for her help around the place. So she was eating them and reading at the same time while she waited for sleep to come to her.. It soon did, and she also drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
Chilie was busy preparing her outfit for tomorrow's school day. She had laid out a black skirt that went to her knees, a light purple blouse that buttoned up, and black doc martins, followed by a huge belt that went around her waist. She spent a few more minutes getting ready for bed, then washed her hair, blow dried it, washed off her makeup, then brushed her teeth, and climbed into her nightgown. She hopped into bed.  
  
"Chilie, are you in bed, yet?" her aunt's gentle voice came through the door.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Don't forget to say your prayers and read the Torah!"  
  
"I won't. Love you!"  
  
"I love you. Good night. God bless."  
  
"God bless," Chilie said, then reached for her Torah book.  
  
  
  
After the tournament was over, Hana had decided to go for a walk. She needed to clear her mind of some things. Personally, her feelings for Sage and Thunder were starting to bug her. She had only known Thunder for three months, but those three months were the most memorable. The date that she had gone on Thunder with had to have been the sweetest. They had gotten to know one another better. Their interests in Kendo struck the subject. Hana had told Thunder about her competitions she had won since she was a little girl. She smiled at the thought. Her mother and father had put her in Kendo to help her spirit and mind grow and develop into a young lady. It helped and she won many praises from people around her nation. She recalled Thunder telling her they needed to practice some time together; however that never happened. He left before she ever had a chance with him…  
  
Sage, on the other hand, she had known for about two years now. He was arrogant, feisty, and pig headed. Hana never thought that she would be his guardian, but fate had played a hand in that. What many people didn't know, Sage and Hana had actually went on a date two weeks after the end of the Dynasty War with Talpa. Hana had found out many things about Sage. How he was dressed as a girl when he was younger. She couldn't help but laugh at that. They got kicked out of the restaurant for fighting with one another. Smiling, she remembered she still had the pictures they took that night in a photo booth.  
  
Hana had been so deep in thought that she wondered deep into the woods. She cursed at herself for being self-absorbed. She didn't know which way was which. She sat down on a nearby rock and listened to the streaming waters beside her. She looked into the stream and found the color very similar to Thunder's eye color. _Dammit, why can't I get him outta my head?_  
  
Glancing upward, she noticed the stars in the sky were shining brighter than usual. Hana thanked the ancient that school was out for another two months. It was already three in the morning there, "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight," She silently closed her eyes and made her wish. _Thunder…  
  
Hana…_  
  
Her eyes shot open. _No way…it couldn't be…_  
  
Hana Rai Utano just heard Thunder say her name, "Okay, this is weird. Let's see if it'll work again."  
  
_Hey Thunder, ya there?  
  
Hana?_  
  
  
  
The king and queens personal guard walked into the sitting room while they were discussing plans to retrieve the heir to the German throne, "My Lord. My Lady. Your transportation is ready when you are."  
  
"Thank you, guard. You may leave," King Thaitus replied. He rose from his throne and ordered his other guards to gather his luggage and the queens. He turned to his wife, "Are you ready, Lila?"  
  
"Thaitus, don't you think you're being irrational about this? He may not want us in this life right now," Queen Lila rose from her seat as well and walked over to her husband, "I'm begging you, leave him be. He seems happy with his life right now."  
  
Thaitus grabbed his wife by the arm, "Lila, I know full and well that probably doesn't want us in his life; however, as heir to the German throne, he must come home. His life now be damned! My son will never be allowed back into that filthy country with those pathetic commoners again! Do you understand me?"  
  
Lila winced a little under the pressure of her husbands arm. She nodded, "Yes, my king," She felt him release her and throw her to the ground.  
  
"Good. Come to the plane. We're leaving immediately, " Thaitus left and followed the guards out of the room.  
  
"Oh, my son. I'm so sorry, but we must ensure you as the right ruler of Germany or our country will be lost," Lila said silently. She picked herself up and left to board the plane.  
  
  
  
Hana was extremely surprised to hear Thunder's voice. In fact she almost fainted right there. Yet she managed to keep her composure. _'Thunder! It's been a long time! Um, how are you?'  
  
'I'm doing well, I think. Just, been feeling under pressure.'  
  
_Hana frowned with concern, though her heart was pounding beneath her chest. The image of him in the basement that one time without his shirt on, was making her drool again, and now to hear his voice, her dream to hear from him again had come true. Now if only she could. _'Feeling under pressure? Why?'  
  
'Because of my background mostly. I want to see my real parents, but I'm afraid to. I don't want to leave my friends behind. We're all close to each other. Like family.'  
  
'I can understand that.'_   
  
Thunder decided to change the subject though as he didn't want to think about it anymore. He asked how things were going on her life, and she told him, smiling, as he seemed to be coming more out of his shyness. _'It's going great. We saw you on TV. Congratulations.'  
  
'Thank you.'  
  
'You were so good!' _Not to mention hot, she added to herself._   
  
'Thank you again.'  
  
'You're welcome. Oh, Ryo and Mia are going to be parents!'  
  
'Really? Wow. Tell them I wish them luck and congratulations myself. Oh. I got your message earlier. I'll tell Flash what you said. Hey, I have to. It's after my bedtime here, and I have to be up at 6 a.m. Goodnight, Hana. Sleep well.'  
  
'Goodnight, Thunder. You sleep good too.'  
  
_Thunder disconnected from her and sighed to himself. It had been easier than he had thought he had realized. He turned over onto his stomach and closed his eyes. Soon he drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
Back inside the house, Ryo and Mia were just turning in for the night. Both of them were extremely tired from the day's events. Mia sat down on the bed and watched Ryo strip to his boxers and reach or his nightshirt. She had a sad look on her face, "Um, Ryo?"  
  
Ryo turned around just as he was pulling the shirt over his head, "Yeah?"  
  
Mia bit her lower lip, "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting towards you these past few months. I know everyone says it's hard on you, but I have to bring this child into the world. I'm afraid I'm dong something wrong. What if the baby isn't healthy? What if someone else attacks? What if I'm not a good mother? What if…" She felt Ryo's lips press up against hers. After a few seconds, he pulled away.  
  
"Mia, nothing's going to happen to you while I'm around. I'll protect you and my child with my life. Listen, you're doing everything just fine. The doctor said the baby was healthy when you went for the checkup," He sat down beside her and took a hold of her hand, "You're going to be a great mother, Mia. There's no doubt in my mind that you won't be."  
  
"Oh Ryo, I needed to hear that," Mia said sweetly. She leaned in to give him a kiss, but she jerked away, "Oh!"  
  
"What?"  
  
Mia smiled, "The baby just kicked. Here, give me your hand," She took Ryo's hand and placed it on her enlarged belly.  
  
Ryo almost screamed. His baby. His and Mia's creation of life was responding to them. He looked up at Mia with eyes of pure joy, "I can't believe I'm going to be a father. Did the doctor ever call you back with the gender?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well?"  
  
Mia smiled a bit. Should she tell him or tease him? "I'm having a boy, Ryo. You're going to have a son."  
  
At that moment, Ryo picked Mia up and spun her around while kissing her with all his might. He stopped and sat her down, "I'm going to have a boy!"  
  
Mia stood back up and pulled the covers down on the bed and she climbed in. She nodded for Ryo to come to bed. He did. She placed her head on his warm chest and heard his heartbeat, "Thought of any names yet?"  
  
Ryo smiled, "Yeah. Hiroshi Sanada."  
  
"_Generous_. I like that," With that said, Mia snuggled closer to Ryo's body to gather his heat. Ryo smiled and wrapped his arms protectively around his lover. Nothing would harm her as long as he was here. White Blaze nudged open the door to the couples room and, lazily, plopped down on the rug at the foot of the bed. He was going to protect his master and mistress till the end.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Own our own characters. You happy?  
  
**Unexpected Consequences  
  
Chapter 3**  
  
  
The next morning in San Francisco, California, Flash was awake at 6:00 a.m. She kept silent as she showered and dressed in a pair of denim jeans and a white sleeveless turtleneck sweater. She made sure her gold cross was hanging over the shirt, and she put her thick white ankle socks on, then she looked for her shoes. "Blaze, have you seen my shoes?"  
  
The large white wolf raised his head to look up at her from where he was laying next to her bed. '_You took them off last night when you came through the front door,_' he reminded her.  
  
"Oh right. Thanks." She grabbed her backpack and checked to make sure all of her work was there, before slinging it over her shoulder and heading downstairs. Blaze stood up and stretched and then followed her.   
  
Flash had found her shoes, but she didn't put them on. It was forbidden to wear shoes in the house. Keith Michaels, her father, didn't want dirt and mud tracked all over the expensive carpets and wooden floors. She went into the kitchen and grabbed a box of Honey Nut Cheerios and set it on the counter, while grabbing a bowl, a glass of milk, and some toast.  
  
Keith soon came downstairs with his briefcase in hand. "Morning, dear."  
  
"Morning Dad. Going on another business flight?"  
  
"Yes, but I'll be back tonight."  
  
"What time?" Flash asked as she took a bite of her cereal.  
  
"Around 8:00 P.M. I'm just going to New York City. They want to talk about funding the Elateral."  
  
Flash raised one eyebrow up curiously. "What's the Elateral?"  
  
"The Elateral is the name of the plan we're working on. They want to build a new building in the downtown square but they want to know the cost of it."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Keith got himself a bowl of cereal too. "I have to hurry though. My flight leaves in fifty minutes."  
  
"Oh," Flash said and kept on eating her cereal.   
  
Blaze watched the two eat their breakfast, then got his own breakfast. Then he found himself trying to protect his food from his mistress's father's dogs. The two dogs, which were Vizsla and a Weimaraner, and both males. They were older than Blaze, but they were acting like puppies, trying to get his food. Blaze growled a warning at them, but it seemed the dogs didn't hear it.

'_I swear if these two keep this up, I'll have them both for breakfast_,' Blaze said angrily.  
  
Flash frowned as she had heard him. Her father, however, was oblivious to it. "Dad, you need to do something about your dogs. They keep trying to get Blaze's food."  
  
Keith looked up and sighed, then whistled. At once the two dogs bounded over to him, and he led them off outside to put them into their pens.  
  
'_Finally_,' Blaze grumbled and went back to eating his breakfast in peace.  
  
  
  
Chilie was up and eating breakfast with her Aunt Isobel and her cousin Mariet. Mariet as usual was silent and her nose was stuck in a book. Chilie and her aunt were chattering away though.   
  
"Gymnastics is coming along great," Chilie said as she ate her apple and cinnamon oatmeal. "My instructor says I might be going into the finals."  
  
"That's wonderful," Isobel said with a smile. "I know you'll make it." She looked over at her daughter. "Don't you agree, Mariet?"  
  
The girl looked up and nodded. "Uh huh." Then she went back to her book while eating her food. Isobel sighed, but Chilie only smiled. She finished eating her breakfast, then after putting her bowl and spoon in the sink, headed into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Once she had done so, she gathered up her schoolbooks, made sure her homework was in place, and then grabbed her backpack and put everything into it and zipped it shut.  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you two," Isobel said as she stood up after she had finished breakfast. "I'll be working a bit later than usual, so you'll be on your own for a few."  
  
"Ok," Mariet murmured without glancing up.  
  
"What time do you expect to be back?" Chilie asked as she put her flats on.  
  
"Around 6:00 P.M., most likely. So dinner will be late a bit. There are some things you two can snack on though if you get hungry."  
  
"Alright," Chilie said.  
  
Isobel headed into the kitchen, then to the bathroom. When she emerged, she grabbed her coat and her purse. "Well, I'm off. See you when I get home."  
  
"Bye, mom," Mariet said as turned a page in her book, then finished up the last of her oatmeal.  
  
"Bye, Aunt Isobel!" Chilie waved.  
  
"Bye girls!" And Isobel went out the door.   
  
Chilie turned and sat down on the couch. Her aunt's cat jumped on her lap, and she stroked its chin, talking to it quietly. The cat purred in response and rubbed against her in return. Mariet finally put her book down and took her bowl out to the sink, then brushed her teeth. She put her sneakers on, then grabbed her backpack, then picked up her book and marked it. She stared at her cousin. _Why can't I be like Chilie?_ She wondered. _She's got tons of friends, is able to wear anything and it looks good on her, can get a boyfriend easier than I can. It doesn't seem fair. _But yet, she realized, there was no sense in hoping to be someone else. She was stuck being the way she was or was she?  
  
  
  
Thunder was already dressed and ready for school and was now meditating in the backyard high up in the tree. Below him waiting was his dog. A purebred black and tan German shepherd, named Disani. Thunder had been meditating for about fifteen minutes now, while his friend Scorpio was busy feeding his fish inside the house, and while his grandmother was washing the breakfast dishes. As for his grandfather, he was reading the German Newspaper. It was a newspaper all within the German language; something one of Mr. Copiel's friends was able to get for him once a week.  
  
Thunder finally opened his eyes and flipped down off the tree, landing gracefully beside Disani. The dog stood up and stretched and wagged his tail. "Come on, Disani," Thunder said to him, petting his head. "Let's go in."  
  
They went inside together. By now Scorpio had finished feeding his fish and was now on the phone. "Yes, mom. Everything is going fine here. No, not yet. How's Lex and Lita? That's good. And dad? Oh? I see. Well, I hope he gets better. Give him my best. Sorry, mom. I have to go. I have to leave in fifteen minutes for school. All right, mom. I love you. Good-bye." He hung up and sighed.

"You okay?" Thunder asked with concern.   
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine," the Scandinavian replied softly. "My dad's heart seems to be bad."  
  
Thunder frowned. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Yeah, me too. I'm going to see about going home to visit them this weekend."  
  
Thunder nodded, frowning. He hoped nothing would happen to his friend's father. The two begin to finish getting ready for school, something that didn't take either of them long. But as they waited to leave for school, Thunder worried about his small friend.  
  
  
  
Shades was taking care of the customers in the baker's shop while he was in the kitchen mixing new ingredients. Her backpack laid on the stool beside her, an easy reach for when she had to leave for school. She had been taking care of customers for the last fifteen minutes, ringing up their orders, jotting down orders, and selling cookies, cakes, pies, donuts, croissants, and different candies. Usually the baker made about $400.00 in sales weekly, and for Shades' help he gave her a little apartment efficiency above the shop, and paid her about $35 a week. Though it might not have seemed like much money, Shades was able to buy clothes and school supplies when she needed them, and sometimes her own food. Though occasionally she sometimes ate with the Warriors when they were all together at Chinook's, or when she had been invited to one of their houses for lunch or dinner.   
  
She looked at the clock. She would have to leave in ten minutes. She heard the baker humming and knew he was just about finished. Soon he would be out front and would take over the sales.  Indeed he did come out with a tray of freshly baked glazed donuts. He put them in the correct shelf and smiled at her. "Business is going good as usual."  
  
"Yes," Shades agreed, nodding her head. "Fourteen people have been here so far. She showed him the sales report, which included what each customer bought, how many were sold, and what they had made from the sales. The sales from just that bit of time had come to $20.00  
  
"Good!" He smiled and nodded his head. He looked up at the clock. "You'll be leaving soon."  
  
"Yes, in five minutes."  
  
"What time will you be back?"  
  
Shades picked up her backpack and shrugged. "I don't know. Around four maybe?"  
  
He nodded. "I'll expect you then."  
  
"Right," Shades nodded.   
  
  
  
Ice and Snow had been ready for school for the last fifteen minutes, but Ice decided to spend his time playing a video game on his PS2 until it was time to leave, while Snow studied for his physics test. Though they were the same age, Snow was in Junior College. Reason being he was a genius with an IQ of 245. The college was actually right across the street from the Warriors school, which made it easier on all of the Warriors in case anything should happen.  
  
"Come on you stupid monster!" Ice cried as he pounded away at the controller. "Die already!"  
  
Snow let out a small sigh of exasperation as he looked toward at his twin. "You know, your grades would be up more if you'd spend more time on your studying then on those video games."  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Ice said and just kept on playing. Snow shook his head and returned to his studying. Trying to get through to his brother was like trying to dig through cement with a shovel. Ice groaned a few minutes later when it flashed Game Over on the TV screen. He sighed and shut the game off. "Man, I was so close to beating it!"  
  
"Yeah, sure," Snow said as he closed his physics book.   
  
Ice ignored him and grabbed his backpack and set it on the table. "I'm hungry," he said and went into the kitchen.   
  
"There's a surprise," Snow muttered.  
  
"I heard that!"  
  
Snow just smiled and grabbed his shoes.  
  
  
  
T-boz was cleaning the kitchen up after she had cooked breakfast for her hosts and herself. She had ten minutes to leave for school. She quickly braided her hair into the two usual braids. She placed her headband around her head, and then grabbed her backpack. She made sure all of her homework was in there, and then she sat down and turned the TV on. Her hosts were already at work, and she alone in the house. She could watch TV for a minute before she left for school.   
  
"This just in," the news reporter spoke, "King Thaitus and Queen Lila of the German Empire have found the lost heir who was dwelling somewhere in San Francisco, California. At this present moment they are on their way to the country to pick him up."  
  
T-boz blinked. She had no idea there was a long lost heir living in the city. She wondered who it was. The news changed to something else, a robbery at one of the little minim arts, a man who had won the lottery, and the weather, and sports. She shut the TV off and stood up and stretched. It was time to leave. She grabbed her backpack, made sure her key was in her pocket, and went out the door, making sure to lock the door when she was leaving.  
  
  
  
Rekino had been the first one to get up that morning, as usual. She took her morning jog at five that morning and sat down to watch some television. She had caught glimpse of the news briefing on the king and queens finding of the German heir. _So, it all starts here. I wonder what's going to happen to Thunder? He most likely doesn't want to go back to Germany._ Since Rekino was only running on a couple hours of sleep, she wasn't in a thinking mood. She laid her back down on the couch.  
  
The grandfather clocked chimed. She screamed. Her eyes opened and she saw it was 11:30 A.M. She hoped that her scream didn't wake anyone up. Since the run woke her up, Rekino decided to get some coffee. She got up off the soft couch and made her way into the kitchen. She turned on the coffee pot and grabbed a cup. Sitting down at the table, she thought while the coffee was making.  
  
_I want to see Flash and Thunder again, but with what's going on, I don't know if I could. The German king and queen will be arriving soon and we couldn't get there fast enough. Dammit, I wish we could just teleport there!_ She stopped for a moment. She had to get there. Rekino felt that something was right. She knew that the German king and queen just wouldn't appear out of nowhere to take their son without a good reason. She stood up and her eyes narrowed. _What can I do? I have to do something! I promised him three months ago that I would protect him!_ She was startled when the coffee dinged. Quickly, she poured herself and cup, added cream and sugar, and walked into the computer room. She logged onto the Internet to see if she could find something interest. _Dammit, why do the bad things always happen to the nicest people?_ Her eyes caught something.  
  
"Well well, what do we have here?" Rekino smiled evilly and began to read the article. She skimmed over Germany's history and such until she came across something. She read it aloud, "'Today marks the seventeenth year Germany has been at war with Rome. The Romans had declared war on the Germans over territory issues. The ruling king of Germany, Thaitus, and his wife, Lila, had decided on giving up their son, whose name is unknown, for personal reasons. To this day, the heir is now where to be found, but the authorities of the German empire will keep searching until he is found'," Rekino looked at the date, "This was posted two days ago, but now he's been found. What reasons do they have for doing this? They should just leave Thunder be! He doesn't want to go back to Germany!"  
  
"Rekino?" A voice came from the door.  
  
"Hey Jo. Whatcha doing up?" Rekino asked. She turned around and saw the Hardrock Guardian propped up against the doorframe. She could tell Josephine was concocting something, "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"  
  
Josephine smiled, "Well, if it involves hot coffee and food, then yeah," she ducked an object, "Kidding. Yeah, I am. Thunder's parents going to get him?"  
  
Rekino sighed, "I'm afraid so. We can't do anything though. They're already on their way to Callie."  
  
Josephine walked over to Rekino, "I know you better than this. You're giving up just like that. What happened to the Rekino I knew? She just wouldn't sit back and call it quits. You know better than I do that someone's going to do something, and we better be the first ones to make a move."  
  
Rekino smiled up at her friend, "I needed a pep talk, thanks Jo. Now, I feel the need for a meeting. You with me?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"All right, let's go wake everyone up."  
  
"We're already up," Ryo said. He was standing behind Jo with all the other Ronins and Guardians, "We couldn't help but over hear what's happening. I say we go to San Francisco right now!"  
  
"I'm with ya buddy!" Rowen stated.  
  
"It's time to rock that joint!" Kento said and punched his fist into his palm  
  
Amaya stepped forward, "As a warriors, we are all needed for this!"  
  
"Hey, hold on a second! We can't all go!" Rekino stated. She stood up from her chair and walked into the living room. She put a hand on her hip, "I know we all want to go, but we can't. Mia's pregnant remember! The people wouldn't let her on the plan!"  
  
"That's right. I wouldn't be able to get on. The airport would be afraid I'd go into labor," Mia said sadly.  
  
"Then, who's all going?" Cye asked, "We can't leave Mia here by herself. It won't be safe."  
  
The whole room fell silent. They all knew what was going to happen. If they didn't go, Thunder could be taken away. If they did go, not every would be allowed to go. It took about five minutes before someone broke the silence. It was Hana, "How about we spilt up then? Five go and five stay."  
  
"Well it's a miracle!" Kento said, "Hana actually thought of something logically."  
  
"Stuff it lard face! I'm not in the mood!" The Halo Guardian looked a little distressed, "That way, it'll be evened out. Mia's staying, no questions asked. Now, four others will have to stay, but who?"  
  
No one spoke. Everyone wanted to go, but no one wanted to stay. Rekino stepped forward, "This is bull guys. I know y'all all want to go, but if no one's going to choose, I'll choose for you."  
  
"That's not fair, Rekino!" Hana whined.  
  
"Too bad, so sad," Rekino exclaimed, "Ryo and I are going. Josephine, I want you to stay here and help Mia. She's going to need support from someone. Hana, you're going. Since you're closer to Thunder than anyone of us, I'll allow it. Cye and Amaya, y'all are staying also. Kento, you're the big muscle man, so you'll protect the house. Rowen and Sage, you're coming with us too."  
  
"HEY! I wanna go too!" Josephine exclaimed, "I don't wanna sit around here and follow Mia's orders!"  
  
Ryo placed a hand in front of Josephine, "I think that she made a good choice. Are we all agreed?" Ryo saw them all nod, "Good. Kento, call the airport and see when the next flight to San Francisco is. Get the one that's closest to us. We can't afford to waste time. Then, see how much the tickets are. The rest of us that are going, start packing your things. We leave as soon as we can!"  
  
"Right!" Everyone assigned to something set out to perform their duties while the others started to make breakfast.  
  
  
  
"King Thaitus, we'll be arriving in San Francisco within the next couple of hours," the guard reported.  
  
"Good, once we've arrived, I want you to search the whole area! Restaurants, high schools, shopping centers, search them all. You will not rest until the heir is found! Got that?" Thaitus bellowed.  
  
"Yes sir," the guard saluted and left the quarters.  
  
"My leach, please reconsider. Our son seemed happy with the people he was with. Thaitus, I love you, but what you're doing is outlandish!" Lila said, "I know I have no right as the queen, but please hear me out…"  
  
"Stop your foolish banter, woman. I will not tolerate that from you. As my queen, you are to support me in whatever I do!" Thaitus turned away from his wife, "My son will become the rightful German King! He will not stay in this filthy place any longer!"  
  
Lila placed a hand on her husband's shoulders, "Thaitus, you know that the Americans have been financially supporting us all these years. We can't just barge in there and take one of their citizens. It'll ruin the bond with them!"  
  
Thaitus turned around and slapped his wife hard, "Do you not think I know that? The Americans have been kind to us, yes, but they have no right to keep my son in their homeland. He may be a citizen, but his blood is that of the Germans. He is no American, dammit!"  
  
"So you say, but the American government may not tolerate it. Thaitus, please…" Lila stopped.  
  
"I said to SHUT UP! You are not to say another word? Got it?" Thaitus saw his wife nod, "Now, you stay here. I'm going to go and aid the guards in the search," Thaitus took another look at his wife. The red mark was visible, but he paid no mind to it. He snorted and left while Lila softly cried on the ground.  
  
  
  
Flash walked into the lunchroom. School had been okay so far, but she was ready to eat. She immediately spotted Thunder, "Hey Thunder!"  
  
The Storm warrior turned around to see his leader walking towards him, "Hey Flash. What's up?"  
  
"Oh nothing, just the usual. Rekino called me last night. She told me that Ryo and Mia were having a baby! I couldn't believe it!" Flash exclaimed.  
  
Thunder nodded and grabbed a tray, "Yeah, I talked to Hana last night through our elemental link. She told me."  
  
Flash looked shocked, "You actually talked to her? I don't believe it! When?"  
  
"Last night while I was getting ready for bed. She told me to tell you she said hey," Thunder replied and grabbed a sandwich.  
  
Before Flash could answer, someone else did for her, "Okay, what are you two talking about? Hana? Rekino? What's going on?" It was Chilie.  
  
"You heard the whole thing?" Flash asked.  
  
"Yeah! What's this about links?" Chilie asked.  
  
Thunder sighed, "We've got a lot of explaining to do."  
  
All five other Warriors stared at her, waiting. It was then that Flash and Thunder told them about their mission and of the five Lady Guardians and the Ronin Warriors. The Warriors listened, not even eating their food. They heard about the war with Mesu and how it had been a struggle. They even learned how Thunder was a prince, and their mouths dropped.  
  
"You…you're the lost Prince?" T-boz stammered. "I saw a news report on TV about him, but I didn't think it was you!" the Indian exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, it's true…I'm him."  
  
"Wow! We got royalty with us!" Ice exclaimed. "Wait till Snow learns of this!"  
  
"I'll say!" Chilie said enthusiastically, and then stared at Thunder almost dreamily which made him sweatdrop.  
  
"Do your grandparents know?" Scorpio asked his friend.  
  
"Not yet. I haven't told them."  
  
"You should," Shades said.  
  
"Um, guys, there's a slight problem though," T-boz said with a frown.  
  
Everyone looked at her in concern, "What's that, T-boz?" Flash said.  
  
"When I was watching the news. Thunder's real parents were on their way here to get him," And the table suddenly grew quiet with frowns on all faces. At the same time three German soldiers came into the school, searching each classroom, asking information, and looking for the lost heir.  
  
Outside King Thaitus and Queen Lila waited. So far they had checked the others schools, libraries, parks, homes, and other places without success. Now the king could only hope their son would be in this high school building.  
  
Back inside, the warriors were startled when German soldiers barged into the lunchroom and started to search the kids.  
  
"Oh great, not now..." Flash said under her breath  
  
All of them could see the guards searching the kids.. The officials in the school did nothing, but made sure not a student was harmed. Thunder frowned deeply and kept his head low under the table. He didn't want to be seen. Unfortunately, one of the guards did see him and started to walk towards him. The warriors started to panic, except Flash, "Thunder, get outta here. We'll try to hold them off," She whispered quietly.  
  
"I don't think I can. They've got this place surrounded," Thunder said back to her.  
  
The guard that had spotted him spoke with authority, "German Prince, you are to come with us. If you cooperate, you will not be harmed," The Warriors frowned deeply as every single student turned and gazed at Thunder. Most of the girls were shocked and elated.  
  
"He's a prince?!" a girl screamed. Others were fanning themselves and some were getting up.  
  
"Please stay in your seats!" a guard ordered. A school official waved his hand and shouted for the students to sit down. The girls, who had been wanting to mad rush Thunder, unwillingly sat down, all staring at Thunder dreamily.  
  
"Young prince, you must come with us now," another guard spoke. "His majesty and her highness are waiting for you outside."  
  
"He doesn't want to go," Flash told the guard.   
  
"That is not his choice," another guard said.  
  
"This is America!" Flash snapped. "He can have a choice."  
  
"He is not of American blood!" another guard said. He went to grab Thunder, but the Warrior of Storm, suddenly grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder, then jumped to his feet, and somersaulted over the guards.  
  
"Go, Thunder!" Scorpio shouted.  
  
"We'll try to hold them off!" Chilie said.  
  
And Thunder ran for it as the Warriors tried to hold the guards off.


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: *holds a large sword up* you were saying?  
Unexpected Consequences  
Chapter 4  
  
  
**Thunder was dodging soldiers and running through the halls, trying to find a good place to hide. There were soldiers everywhere! If this were an attack from their enemy Tutock, he and the other Warriors would have armored up. But since these were humans, they couldn't use their powers on them. He raced down the stairs hearing the soldiers right behind him and glanced over his shoulder as he neared the bottom. Bad move. He suddenly slammed into a large soldier who quickly took a hold of him. Thunder struggled to get free, but another soldier grabbed a hold of him, making it impossible for Thunder to attempt to escape. One guard grabbed his walkie-talkie. "We've got the Prince. Inform his majesty we are bringing him out to him soon."  
  
"Roger that."  
  
The guard put his walkie-talkie away and nodded to his fellow soldiers. "Let's go." He stared at Thunder's face though. His countenance didn't seem angry though. Instead he seemed sad… and scared? Back in the hallway, the Warriors were all frowning when he heard the news.  
  
"I can't believe this!" Shades yelled.   
  
"It's not fair," Chilie said sadly.  
  
"We're going to get him back," Flash said firmly, her eyes flashing.  All of them were pretty upset, but no one more than Scorpio. He was loosing his best friend and would probably never see him again.  
  
The guards led Thunder outside into the parking lot of the school. Every classroom had students or faculty members were staring out the windows, watching curiously. Thunder raised his head and looked toward the King and Queen who were standing about five feet away from him, next to a black limousine. At once he saw them look directly at him and the whole world seemed to just disappear.**  
  
  
  
**Kento hung the phone up and looked at Ryo, "I could only get five plane tickets for a flight at 3:00 P.M."  
  
Ryo nodded and sipped his mug of coffee. In truth he was worried they wouldn't get there in time. _Why did this have to be happening?_ There was no answer, but he wished this were all a dream. He could only imagine what Thunder must be going through now.   
  
"That's fine, Kento."  
  
"Ok, man. I'm going to tell the others then." Kento left the kitchen to tell the others, while Ryo went upstairs to see how Mia was doing. After Rekino had made the decision about who would be going and who would be staying, Mia had gone upstairs to rest. He went down the hall and knocked on their door, calling her name softly. He heard no answer and went in. She was asleep on their bed. He smiled softly and approached her, and lightly kissed her, tucking some hair behind her ear. He really did love her. And he wouldn't let any harm come to her.  
  
Rekino sighed. She really wished they could get there faster than before 3:00 p.m. But what choice did they have? The thought of teleportation came again to her mind and she yearned for it.   
  
"You're not going to get there fast enough!" Cye said with worry.  
  
"This is the best we can do," Rekino said grimly.   
  
Hana was probably more worried about this than any of them. Yet, she said nothing about it. She was still confused about her feelings and she didn't want to say anything about them not yet.  
  
"I know Cye," Rekino said with a sigh. "But we can hope we can." She looked toward Kento. "Did you state out names for the tickets?"  
  
Kento nodded. "Yes, for Ryo and Rekino Sanada, Hana Rai-Utano, Rowen Hashiba, and Sage Date."  
  
"Good," Rekino nodded. "Okay, everyone go and pack! We may be there for a few days!" And the three Ronins and two Lady Ronin Guardians headed to his or her room.  
  
The Lady of Wildfire walked into her room, but grabbed the doorframe. She felt sickly all of the sudden. She closed her eyes and her kanji flashed brightly. Something wasn't right. She felt it in her heart that they were already too late. An image flashed in her mind of Thunder being taken back home to Germany unwillingly. The faces of the other Warriors she could see. They were in distress.   
  
_Rekino of the Lady Wildfire…  
  
_Rekino heard someone in her mind. She chose to ignore it.  
  
_Rekino of the Lady Wildfire…_  
  
There it was again. She must be going crazy. She sat down on the bed.  
  
_Hey, Lady Wildfire! Listen to me! If you're just going to sit around and sulk then I guess you don't need my help!_  
  
Her face twisted, "Okay, I don't know who the hell you are, but no one talks to me that way!" Rekino's face went pale when the image of the last living ancient appeared before her, "Oh, Lady Kayura. I didn't know it was you."  
  
"Lady Rekino, it's been a long time. Listen, I know that you're in distress on what's going on, but there's nothing you can do," Kayura said solemnly, "The Warrior of the Storm will be taken back to his home country. I'm sorry, but…"  
  
"Listen here old lady, I know that you didn't come here to lecture me on what we can't do. By God, there's something we can do! I was given this armor to protect and serve. I will not allow anyone to suffer. I, Rekino Sanada of the Lady Wildfire, pledged my allegiance to all protect all warriors no matter where they came from. Now, tell me how to get there or I'm frying your blue head back to the neutral nether realm!" Rekino shouted. Her kanji once again began to flash. It kept getting brighter and brighter, "I will never allow anyone to suffer! Not as long as I have breath in my body! As the Ancient One and yourself told me, I'm the Keeper of the Heart, and I'll make sure everyone has hope, love, and courage in their hearts!"  
  
Lady Kayura smiled, "That's the Rekino I know. Now, gather your friends, you're going to San Francisco without using that…airplane contraption."  
  
"Good. I don't like airplanes. I'm afraid of heights," Rekino said under her breath.  
  
  
  
Thunder was brought into the limo and placed inside. Guards were on both sides of him. He felt like a prisoner. His real parents soon climbed in on the opposite side. His father looked rather pleased to see him, but his mother looked…sad. Thunder didn't know whether he or his father caused the sadness in the young woman.  
  
"Hello my son. I'm known as Thaitus, King of Germany," Thaitus nodded towards his wife, "And this is your mother, Lila, Queen of Germany."  
  
Thunder nodded his hello to both of them. He glanced outside of the tinted window to see his friends just standing there. They all held worry and grief on their faces. He wanted nothing more than to get out of this contraption and just go home to his grandparents. The limo start up and drive towards the airport. He saw Flash start running to catch up with the limo, but she didn't want to reveal herself in front of the whole student body. She just stopped and waved a goodbye.  
  
  
  
Rekino ran down stairs with Kayura's hand in hers. She was so happy that she could scream. She did, "HEY! NO PLANE! KAYURA HELP!!"  
  
Ryo looked up from his spot on the couch, he had been asleep, "Dammit Rekino, what are you screaming about?" He noticed Kayura, "Oh, Kayura. What's up?"  
  
Kayura forced herself out of Rekino's grip and recomposed herself; "I've come to take you guys to America. Free of charge. Now, if we can gather everyone together we'll start."  
  
Rekino ran throughout the house quickly to get everyone together in the living room, "Hey! Y'all come on! It's time to go to America!!"  
  
"Okay, what's she talking about? Has she lost her mind?" Kento asked.  
  
Josephine stuck her foot out in front of Rekino and tripped her, "Down girl. What's all the yelling about? Are you all there, Rekino?"  
  
The Lady of Wildfire picked herself up and looked at Josephine strangely, "Now, why did you do that? I was just happy running around like a mad woman."  
  
"Well, you looked like a freak. Anyways, what's up?" Josephine asked.  
  
"Kayura's here! She's going to get the lot of us to San Francisco. Well, the ones that are going at least," Rekino said.  
  
Josephine sweatdropped, "Yeah, I'm stuck here babysitting the pregnant hell demon."  
  
Rekino sweatdropped and leaned close to the Lady Guardian of Hardrock. "Just don't let her hear you call that. Believe you me."  
  
Josephine smirked. "Got that, Leaderette."  
  
"Don't call me that. Now as I was saying..."  
  
"Not to interrupt, Rekino, but I did hear Josephine say that," Mia said.  
  
Josephine backed up a bit away from Mia.  
  
Rekino gritted her teeth, "If one more person interrupts me I'll junction with Ryo and kick your ass!" Everyone instantly became quiet, their eyes wide, all staring hard at Rekino. She took a deep breath and composed herself, "Thank you."  
  
  
  
Flash wiped a single tear away then turned when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Snow stood behind her with a frown. "Snow... you heard?"  
  
The Warrior of Hail nodded. "I saw it through my class window," he admitted, sadness in his brown eyes. "I knew right away it wasn't someone kidnapping him because you would have blown the car up."  
  
Flash nodded sadly. "They're his real parents, Snow," she said.  
  
Snow frowned deeply as the Warriors gathered together there. Chilie and Ice were holding Scorpio who had been so upset he had gotten sick. Now the Warrior of Current was slumped against the Warrior of Shock, in exhaustion.  
  
"We've got to do something!" Shades declared. "Let's start a war with them!"  
  
"Shades, are you crazy?" Chilie asked, looking over at the Warrior of Ataxia.  
  
The Russian Warrior looked toward the Warrior of Heart and crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows as if to say, what do you think? And the Jewish Warrior sweatdropped. She should have know that Shades was that crazy enough.  
  
Flash raised her voice a bit, "No one is starting a war anywhere! Look, we all want Thunder back. But we have to realize those are his real parents. Who have been searching for him for fifteen years. So, we have to take the composed approach and hopefully let the king and queen of Germany realize how miserable he would be there."  
  
The Warriors all nodded. They would have to travel to Germany somehow and prove this to Thunder's real parents. The question was how?  
  
  
  
Thunder eyed the private aircraft that stood in the center of San Francisco's International Airport. He and his true parents were escorted by plenty of guards who walked in front of them, on either side of them, and behind them. Never before had Thunder felt so closely guarded. He boarded the plane unwillingly with his real father and mother and soon found himself seated across from them again, with the guards flanking him on either side.  
  
"It is good to finally see you, Thunder," Thaitus said looking directly at his son, "I'm sure you'll have a lot of questions for us."  
  
Thunder didn't speak just yet; he remained quiet, staring at the floor, before finally raising his gaze to look at the man who had fathered him. "And I'm sure you will have questions as well."  
  
Lila smiled gently at her son and took Thunder's hand into hers, "We're willing to answer any questions you have for us, my son."  
  
Thunder nodded his head and took in a deep breath, "Why are you coming to get me after fifteen years?"  
  
Thaitus frowned, "Our country has been at war for seventeen years with Rome. Your mother and I were afraid if I passed on that there would be no one to take the crown and throne. We need a strong leader to rule Germany, and we were certain it was you. That's why we came to look for you."  
  
"We've asked the administration of your school to send a thank you note to the people who took care of you. They did a wonderful job in raising you, son," Lila caressed her son's cheek with her soft, pale hand, "I'm glad that you're coming home with us. This is a dream come true."  
  
Thunder smiled, "I'm sorry that I've caused you pain, mother, but I didn't know where you were. If I would've known, things may have been different…"  
  
King Thaitus frowned. This wasn't the time for mother/son bonding time. It was a discussion flight back home, "Who were those people you were hanging out with son?"  
  
Thunder turned his attention to his father, "Those were my friends: Flash Michaels, Scorpio Lapine, Ice and Snow Thornten, Chilie Davids, T-Boz Rabbiel, and Shades Thopho. Flash has a pet wolf named…"  
  
"I don't care who their names are or what they have. As the crowned prince, you are to never see them again," Thaitus said, "You will not be allowed to associate with those…commoners again. They are a danger to your health and I will not allow it."  
  
At that moment, Thunder thought he was going to die. He wasn't going to be able to see his friends ever again. Flash or the others were to never be a part of his life. Before the plane could take off, he stood up from his seat and made a run for the exit; however, the guards grabbed him from behind. He was struggling to get loose. The Warrior of Storm saw someone walking towards him with a needle. His struggling became fiercer. He felt the utensil pick him in the arm and the cool liquid filled his veins. _Flash! Guys! HELP! _He tried to send out a message for help, but it was no use. His last thoughts were on his friends and the blonde he left back in Japan…  
  
  
  
Flash frowned as she looked toward the other Warriors. She could have sworn she heard Thunder just a little bit ago. She was pretty sure it wasn't her imagination. "Did you guys feel that?" All of them were frowning deeply. They weren't sure what to make of it. They really didn't hear anything, but they could feel their comrade in arms was calling out to them. How, they weren't sure.  
  
"Flash, we've got to do something," T-boz said.  
  
"I know," Flash nodded in agreement.   
  
"But how?" Ice asked. "Those are his real parents. If we go over there…"  
  
Flash's look could have stopped Niagara Falls. "We're his friends, Ice. And we're Warriors, a team. We don't just let our friends go.. Yes, they're his family, but his family has no right to choose his friends for him. We'll go to Germany if we have to."

All of them looked at her, even Scorpio who had paused in his crying to look at her. They could see she was deadly serious, and once Flash made a decision, there was no turning back.   
  
  
  
Ryo stared at his sister, the question weighing on his mind heavily. Ok, so they all knew they weren't taking the plane to San Francisco, but exactly when would they be able to go? He was feeling agitated for some reason and he couldn't explain it, "So when do we leave?" he demanded.  
  
Everyone looked at him, rather surprised, and yet not surprised. It had been awhile since Ryo had spoken forcibly.  
  
Rekino crossed her arms. "Just as soon we're all ready I guess."  
  
"We're all ready!" Rowen, Sage, Ryo, and Hana shouted in unison.   
  
Rekino sweatdropped. She should have expected that. "Ok. Then let's get this started with."  
  
They all nodded. Rekino called Kayura. In a few minutes Kayura appeared between them. They all stood at attention around her, greeting her. She eyed the five who were going. "Are you ready?"  
  
"Yes," Hana said.  
  
"Yes," Ryo, Sage, and Rowen nodded.  
  
"Yuppers!" Rekino said.  
  
"Be safe, you guys!" Josephine said.  
  
"Do your best to protect Thunder and each other!" Cye said.  
  
"Bring me back some good American food!" Kento said.  
  
Everyone sweatdropped at him, "Kento!"  
  
Kento gave a sheepish smile.  
  
"Come back soon," Amaya said.  
  
"We will," Rekino promised. She looked toward Mia. "And don't go into labor while I'm gone!"  
  
Mia chuckled. "This baby won't be ready for a few months yet, Rekino."  
  
Rekino smiled and nodded, and looked at Kayura. "We're ready now."  
  
Kayura nodded, and raised her staff. The five grasped their traveling bags in their hands. The staff glowed and surrounded them, and in the twinkling of an eye, the five vanished from the room.  
  
  
  
Lila frowned with pity as she looked over at her son's limp form in his seat. They were now high in the air over the Pacific Ocean, heading back to Germany. He had been out for the past fifteen minutes, breathing quietly, his blond hair covering most of his face. She reached a gentle hand and brushed his hair away from his face. He made no movement. The sedative that had been injected into him was pretty strong. He would sleep the entire flight home and even longer.  
  
Thaitus glanced at his son out of the corner of his eyes. The last he saw his son was when he had been toddling through the long castle hallways, wearing diapers. Now here was nearly a full-grown man. He turned his head away and the flight back to Germany was quiet and uneventful. Thunder didn't awake as they landed in Berlin International Airport. Two guards carried Thunder off the plane, while four more escorted the king and queen to the waiting limo. The guards placed Thunder on one seat and sat on either side of him, propping him up so he wouldn't get a stiff neck while he was out. His parents sat on the opposite side. The limo was started up and soon drove off. Thunder did not awake as they arrived at the castle.


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: You again? Shoo! Dammit! Leave me alone! *Grabs a blow torch and a can of gasoline*

**Unexpected Consequences**

Chapter 5  
  


  
  


The two Lady Guardians and three Ronin Warriors kept their eyes closed the whole time. It seemed weird to travel by Kayura's use, but, on the bright side, it'll get them there. Rekino felt Rowen take a hold of her hand and squeeze it gently. She squeezed it back. Suddenly, they stopped. Rekino looked down and saw that they were floating high above the ground. She started to hyperventilate.  
  
Ryo took his sister's other hand, "It's okay Rekino. Just breathe. It'll all be over soon," He shut up when Rekino shot him her evil eye.  
  
"Ronin Warriors and Lady Guardians," Kayura got their attention, "Remember, if you ever need my assistance in this new world, you know how to contact me."  
  
"Yes, thank you Kayura," Sage said respectfully and bowed.  
  
"Now, this is as far as I'm taking you," Kayura said evilly.  
  
Hana looked a little worried, "Why?"  
  
Kayura looked at Rekino and smiled, "I hope you remember calling me an old lady because this is payback. Bye now!" With that, Kayura vanished and let them fall.  
  
"KAYURA! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!" Rekino screamed as she fell to the ground. With a flash of red light, she quickly got into subarmor and landed softly. Another flash of red followed by a royal blue and two greens ones signified that the others had got in subarmor.  
  
  
  
Flash had been trying to develop a game plan to help Thunder out. She could hear her warriors fighting over what they should do. Before she could say anything, a red light caught her eye. She turned around and hope that was who she thought it was. Sure enough, she saw a figure with long black hair land in a red armor. Four other flashes caught her eye. Another red one, a royal blue one, and two green ones and four more figures landed. She smiled and started running towards where the four landed.  
  
The other warriors just looked at her strangely. They had learnt over the year that when Flash started to run, they ran too. So, without a thought in their minds, they took off after their leader.  
  
  
  
Rekino had landed and immediately powered out of subarmor, as did the others. She was so pissed at Kayura that she could scream, "Okay, where's our stuff?" Not long after that was said, the suitcases came crashing down on top of Rekino, "This is so not my day."  
  
Rowen laughed and walked over to help his girlfriend, "I got those," He picked up what had landed on her. After that, he took her hand and pulled her up, "You okay?"  
  
"NO!" Rekino's face puffed up and turned all red, "Old lady needs to learn some manners."  
  
Sage couldn't help but laugh, "Maybe it's you that needs the manners lesson, Rekino!"  
  
Just as Rekino started towards Sage, a voice caught her attention, "You're here!" It was Flash. They all turned around to see the American standing there with a look of joy and sadness on her face, "I knew when I saw that red flash that someone had come here. I just didn't think it would be you guys."  
  
Rekino smiled happily and ran over to hug Flash. She opened her arms and embraced the older girl in a hug. Ryo, Rowen, Sage, and Hana all joined Rekino in hugging the Firestarter Warrior. They were too caught up in the moment to notice the other's coming up behind Flash and staring strangely.  
  
T-Boz was in shock. Why was Flash hugging those people? _Only one-way to find out,_ she thought, "Flash, what's going on? Who are these people?"  
  
Rekino and the others pulled away from Flash quickly. She didn't know Flash had anyone else with her. She smiled politely and bowed, "I'm Rekino Sanada."  
  
"I'm Rowen Hashiba."  
  
"Ryo Sanada."  
  
"I'm Sage Date. Nice to meet you."  
  
"I'm Hana Rai Utano. Pleased to meet your acquaintance," Hana respectfully bowed.  
  
Flash nodded towards her friends, "These are five of the ones I meet in Japan when Thunder and I went. Rekino and Hana are two of the five Lady Guardians and Sage, Rowen, and Ryo are three of the five Ronin Warriors," She walked over to her warriors, "And these are the Warriors."  
  
  
  
Thaitus sat down at his throne and waited for his wife to return with news of their son. They had been home for two hours now and he still hasn't woken up. He sighed and pulled up the report from his counsel. The Roman forces had advanced in sectors E and D and were heading towards the fueling camp. The king cursed under his breath. What was he going to do? The German empire was growing tired and weary from the war that had lasted almost two decades. Suddenly, a thought came to his head.  
  
"Maybe if I let Thunder lead the forced in the north, we might be able to pull off a victory. Still, I don't know how well his abilities are in fighting. I'll have him start training with a guard once he's up," Thaitus looked up when a knock came to his chamber door, "Who is it?"  
  
"It's me Thaitus."  
  
"You may enter Lila," the king quickly put away the documents and watched as his wife stepped into the room and softly closed he door behind her, "Is he awake yet?"  
  
"Aye sire. He stirred but went back to sleep. I told the guards not to let him out and to watch the windows like you ordered me to do," Lila said quietly.  
  
"Very good. Now, I want you to make an appointment with the head guard to see how well Thunder can fight in battle."  
  
"Thaitus, don't you think it's a little too early for him to be training?"  
  
"You will do as I say, Lila, or you'll be out on the street with the rest of your pathetic family," Thaitus said with a deep growl in this throat.   
  
The queen curtsied, "Yes, my lord," She composed herself and left the room to carry out her commands.  
  
  
  
"Rekino," Flash said suddenly.  "Thunder's gone. His real parents came and got him.  
  
Rekino's eyes widened, the three Ronins all frowned with deep concern, but Hana. She was beyond pissed. She began to curse loudly, promising she'd storm Germany herself and rip the entire country apart just to get Thunder back. Everyone stared at her in shock.  
  
"Hana, calm down!!" Rekino and Flash said at the time.   
  
Hana growled angrily, still cursing up a storm.  
  
"We're going after him, Hana," Flash said. "Earlier I felt he called my name. I didn't exactly hear him, but I felt him. I felt he needed my help. And we're going to Germany as soon as possible."  
  
"Good, then let's go!" Hana said, ready to charge now.  
  
"Don't be so quick, Hana," Rowen advised.   
  
"That's right," Snow agreed. "We first need to find out what his real parents motives are, before doing anything else. Storming there and causing a scene will just cause trouble for him."  
  
Hana growled. She knew she was being drastic, but she wanted to get Thunder back. She wanted a chance with him… and with him being gone she'd never get that chance.  
  
"Okay, Flash," Ryo said. "You have a way to get us there?"  
  
"Yes, Blaze will teleport us there," Flash said.  
  
"Sheesh," Sage said, shaking his head. "What else can that wolf do?"  
  
"A lot," Flash said. "But we'll worry about that later."  
  
Rekino nodded in agreement. "Then let's get going."  
  
"Um," T-boz interrupted. "We might want to sign ourselves out of school. The school officials are looking for us."  
  
The Warriors sighed deeply. Just their luck. Then Flash got an idea and turned to one of the school's official's car. With a jerk of her head, the car suddenly exploded. And the Ronins', Guardians', and the other Warriors' mouths dropped in utter shock.  
  
"Flash!" Scorpio cried.  
  
"What? He's got insurance. He'll get a better car. Now run!" And without hesitation from that order, they all turned and ran off the school property while the school officials took care of the unexplained fire.  
  
  
  
Thunder was not feeling well at all. His stomach hurt, he had a pounding headache and it was all due from stress. He hadn't been gone from his friends for very long, and he already missed them terribly. He missed his grandparents, and his dog. He wiped a tear away, but more just kept coming and coming. So he gave up and just sobbed, face down into the bed. They had put him in a large sized beautifully furnished room, complete with his own bathroom, walk in closet, computer and desk, and a queen size elegant bed dressed in satin sheets and drapes and several pillows. Yet he didn't care about that. All he wanted to do was go home.   
  
There was a soft knock at his door, but he ignored it. Earlier he had tried to escape this place, but found out there were guards blocking every exit. He wished he could use his armor and full fighting ability, but he couldn't. So he was stuck here, against his will.  The knocking came again, and only his sobs answered it. Finally the door opened…  
  
Lila stared with pity at her only child. She felt bad for him, and if it were up to her, she would have left him stay there with the family and friends he knew of. She approached him and sat beside him, drawing him up to cry on her shoulder, trying to soothe him, "I'm sorry," she whispered. "If I could, I'd let you have your choice. But I cannot."  
  
"It's… it's…n…no…not…f…f…fair!" Thunder sobbed, his body shaking with each one.   
  
"Shh…I know…I know. Sometimes…sometimes we will all have to make certain choices. I know you don't understand some things, but in time you will."  
  
"No! I'll…I'll n...n...never...un…unde…understand this! Never! He...he...he had no…no…r-r-right to…to…to…take me from them! I don't want to stay here!"  
  
Lila frowned, near tears herself. She really wished she could change things around for her son, but she had limited power. All she could do was comfort him the best she could. "It'll be all right, my son. You'll see."  
  
"No, it...it…won't be!" Thunder cried through his sobbing. "I…I...wish…I had never been found by you or your husband!"  
  
The king came bursting through the door having heard his son's words. He noticed that Thunder was crying while Lila tried to comfort him. He frowned, "Would you have rather me left you in that filthy country?! You are the rightful German heir and, as my son, you will not be allowed back into that horrid place."  
  
Thunder eyed his father evilly, "I grew up there! You're the ones who gave me up!"  
  
Thaitus drew his arm back and slapped his son hard across the face. Thunder's head snapped to the side and his eyes were wide. Lila jumped from seat and examined her sons face.  
  
"THAITUS!"  
  
"You will never bring that subject up again! We had no choice!" Thaitus yelled at his son, "And you Lila, stay out of this!"  
  
Thunder held his cheek, which was red. He was scowling at his father. This wasn't what he imagined his parents to be like. He thought his parents would be nice and kind, like his mother, but not ruthless and cold hearted, like his father. The Warrior of Storm straightened up and looked at his biological father.  
  
Now, if you're done bellyaching, get up and get dressed! We have things for you to do," Thaitus turned on his heel to leave, but turned around quickly, "Lila, come with me. We have things we must attend to."  
  
Lila's eyes dropped quickly. She looked at her son and kissed him gently on the forehead, "We'll be waiting for you in the dining hall in an hour. Ask one of the guards to show you around the palace to buy some time."  
  
"All right, mother," Thunder smiled at her. She was actually a decent woman. Her blonde hair hung on her shoulders in a traditional German style. Her light blue eyes held many emotions, "Thank you."  
  
Lila smiled at her son again. She stood up and smoothed out her silk dress, "Remember, one hour. We don't want to upset your father," She turned around quickly to catch up to her husband.  
  
If Thunder could scream, he would've done so at that moment. He was tired of being here, even though it was only a few hours. He eyed the closet and remembered his father telling him to get dressed. He snorted and looked at the computer. His eyes widened as he got an idea. He jumped from his seat and connected to the Internet. What better way to let his friends know how he was doing than by the computer? _These people are so stupid. _Thunder thought to himself. He accessed the hotmail website and logged in. It was time to send Flash an email.  
  
  
  
Mia sat down on the couch and rubbed her temples. She was worried about Rekino and the others, especially Ryo. She knew that her lover didn't want to leave her here, but he had no other choice. She had recalled him telling her that if anything was to go wrong, to contact Rowen. Mia herself was worried that she might go into premature labor. She was already seven months along, and the doctor told her that it could happen. She couldn't contain her emotions any longer. The Lady of Strata grabbed a pillow and started to cry.  
  
Josephine had been the only one there. Cye, Amaya, and Kento had gone to the store for some food and White Blaze was out "answering nature's call". When the Hardrock Warrioress heard Mia start to cry, Josephine spilled her hot chocolate all over herself.  
  
"Dammit! This is a new shirt!" Josephine whined. She grabbed a towel as fast as she could and started to walk into the living room. She saw Mia holding a pillow and crying into it, "Mia? Are you okay?" Josephine cringed when the Strata Warrioress let out a shriek.   
  
"Does it look like I'm okay?!" Mia shouted at her friend. She pulled her head out of the pillow and looked at the ground, "Sorry Jo. Stupid hormones," She looked up and immediately started laughing, "What happened to you?"  
  
Josephine's eyes turned to annoyed slits, "I have you know, when you started to cry, I spilt my hot chocolate all over my new shirt! You're damn right. You and your mother fucking hormones!"  
  
Mia frowned, "You don't have to be so vulgar."  
  
Josephine sat down by Mia, "You don't have to be afraid of the word 'mother fucker'. I'm going to break it down for you. The word 'mother fucker' is a noun. It describes a person, place, or a thing."  
  
Mia sweatdropped, "It would actually be an adjective."  
  
Josephine smiled, "Does it look like I give a mother fucking rats ass?"  
  
The two girls immediately burst into laughter. Mia was glad she had Josephine here with her.  
  
  
  
Hana had been running along with Rekino and her crew and Flash and her warriors. Things hadn't been going good for her. She was upset that Thunder had been taken away. _When I get to Germany, I'm releasing the furies of hell! I can't believe they would take him. It's not fair. I didn't even have a chance with him. Now, he's gone and we'll probably never find him again. Germany's a really big country. God, why did I have to fall in love with him? _Her hormones started giving her reasons. _Man, I have to stop my hormones. They're gonna get me in trouble in the long run._  
  
Rekino continued to follow Flash, dodging streets and people, and even vehicles. Her mind was on Thunder and on Mia. She was worried about both. What if they couldn't bring Thunder back? What if Mia went into labor while she was gone? So many what ifs ran through her mind she was about to stop and scream. Yet, she continued onward. Scorpio had the look of a angered murderer on his face. His best friend had been taken from him, and someone was going to pay. And when Scorpio was mad, it was just best not to anger him further. They ran across another street, some people staring at them as they knew they should have been in school.  
  
"Flash, you know we'll all get in trouble for this," Chilie said.  
  
"Like I give a damn," Flash replied. "Thunder needs us!"  
  
Chilie nodded her head, and continued to follow her leader. Soon Flash, Shades, Scorpio, T-boz, the twins Ice and Snow, Chilie, Ryo, Rekino, Sage, Rowen, and Hana all found themselves in the woods.  
  
"Why are we stopping here?" Rowen asked.  
  
"This is where Blaze usually hunts at," Flash answered.  
  


"You might want to plug your ears," T-boz warned them.  
  
The three Ronins and two Lady Guardians all saw the other six Warriors plugging their ears. They did the same, half expecting for what was to come next. And Flash suddenly gave a really loud sharp shrill whistle.  
  
  
  
Thunder thought he heard someone coming and he quickly signed off the Internet and shut down the computer. He stood up and eyed the closet, cringing. He stared down at his clothes: a pair of dark denim blue jeans and his white polo t-shirt with the blue collar around it. He unwillingly approached his closet and opened it, and his mouth dropped. The closet was a big as his bedroom back at home. And it was filled with many clothing. And he could tell it was all expensive as well. He looked through them, checking the sizes. How did they know what size he wore? He wondered.  
  
"Young Highness," came a voice from behind him. "I have been instructed by your father, his majesty of Germany, to inform you to hurry."  
  
"Yeah…sure," Thunder replied back bitterly. "He waited fifteen years to come and get me. He can wait a little while longer."

The guard stared at him, having no idea what to say. Instead he nodded and went back out.  
  
Thunder snorted at the guard and took his clothes into the bathroom. He stripped down to his boxers and turned on the shower. He waited until the water was hot to finish undressing and step into the steaming hot water. His head rested on the side of the shower while the water continued to run. He let out a sigh of frustration. _This is so damn stupid. What are they going to accomplish by keeping me here?_ His thoughts strayed from that subject to another: His friends. He missed them so much that it hurt to think about them. He actually cracked a smile at the thought that Flash was probably forming a game plan to get him back. Then, he felt something. It was Hana. He closed his eyes and felt her emotions. He knew she was thinking about him and could feel her pain. He also could feel some sort of excitement in her. _I wonder what she's happy about? Sage most likely asked her out._ He came crashing back to the real world and decided to finish his shower. He grabbed some shampoo and conditioner to wash his hair and the Dove© body wash. He finished quickly, turned off the shower, grabbed a towel and stepped out.  
  
Thunder stood in front of the mirror and took one of the many brushes and started moving it through his hair. While he was dressing, his thoughts were on Hana. _Sage will be good for her. They're a lot alike. I know she likes him. Well, as long as she's happy, I'm happy I guess._ He pulled the dark green shirt over his head and fixed the collar. He examined himself in the mirror. He looked presentable. Thunder grabbed the bottle of Tommy Hilfigier© cologne and sprayed a little on his neck. Once he was finished, he took another look in the mirror before walking out of the bedroom. He spotted the guards.  
  
"Are you ready, young highness?" The guard asked.  
  
"Yes," Thunder replied. He followed the guard down the many halls and corridors until they came across the one to the dining hall, "Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome, your highness. By the way, my name is Michael. His majesty has put me in charge of your security. If you ever need anything, I'll be outside your door," Michael replied with a salute.  
  
"You don't have to do that, Michael," Thunder said, referring to the guards salute.  
  
Michael dropped his salute, "It's regulation. Your parents are awaiting your arrival. Once you're finished, I'll be waiting out here to escort you back to your room."  
  
Thunder nodded and opened the large doors to find his mother, father, another man and woman with a girl around his age chatting and eating at the table. He straightened up his shoulders and walked over to his mother and took the seat besides her, "Mother. Father."  
  
The king looked toward his son. "Thunder, next time do not keep us waiting. As the crowned prince, you will be expected to be on time to certain engagements when you are called."  
  
Thunder stared at his father, starting to hate him more than he had. "Sorry," was all he could say, while deep inside, he thought, _yeah, sorry I found out you were such a bastard._ He suddenly got the image of his grandmother chasing him around the house with her rolling pin and he cringed. He would definitely need to stop swearing inside and outside.  
  
Thaitus sighed heavily. "Well, since you're here, I might as well get started with the news.  
  
Thunder raised an eyebrow. "News? What news?"  
  
Thaitus gestured toward the family sitting across from them. "My son, meet his royal majesty, King Damien, her royal highness Queen Annelise, and her young highness, Princess Bianca from Florence, Italy."  
  
Thunder looked toward the family. All three nodded their heads to him in greeting. The king seemed to be a dignified man with short wavy dark brown hair, his wife, sitting regally with her hair done in a long braid that went down her back, and their daughter with her hair done up in a spiraled bun on top of her head, and sitting lady like in her seat, her hands folded at her lap, and her eyes on Thunder.  
  
"We've established business with his majesty and her highness when you were first born, Thunder," the king said proudly.  
  
Thunder blinked as he looked at his father. "What are you talking about? What business?"  
  
"Why, marriage business, my boy! You and Princess Bianca are to be married!"  
  
Thunder's eyes widen, and his mouth dropped. His blood ran cold, and all of his emotions seem to freeze up on him. _M... Marriage?! He can't be serious!_ First they forced him away from his family, told him he couldn't see his friends, now he's to marry someone they chose for him?! This was more than not fair! Yet, he couldn't say anything like that. Instead, he did something else. He fainted.  
  
The royal family of Italy gasped, and Lila quickly checked her son, trying to wake him. Thaitus chuckled, hiding his nervousness. "The boy must be happily shocked."  
  
  
  
Ryo gasped when Blaze suddenly appeared. He had not been expecting the giant wolf to appear right behind him. He jumped back a little, and glared at the wolf. "Don't do that!"  
  
The wolf calmly stared back at him. _'Be glad I was not an enemy, Wildfire. You should be prepared at all times.'  
  
_"Ok, let's stop wasting time. Let's go to Germany already!" Hana demanded.  
  
_'I can send you all there, but it's best if only certain people go. Thunder's grandparents have become ill, and they need someone to stay with them to care for them.'  
  
_All the Warriors frowned. They were all familiar with the Copiels and loved them like their own grandparents. They knew someone who the Copiels knew would have to stay with them. Flash did a lot of thinking in a short time before she finally spoke, "Ok, here's what we do. Chilie and T-boz, you stay with the Copiels. The rest of us will go to Germany."  
  
'_I'm afraid, more will have to stay behind_,' Blaze said.  
  
Flash sighed heavily. "Picky, picky."  
  
'I'm not picky. I'm a wolf.'  
  
Flash sweatdropped and muttered something about smart-ass wolves. "Alright, fine. Ice and Snow you two stay with them and back them up in case if anything should happen." All four Warriors nodded. Flash looked back at Blaze. "Happy?"  
  
'_Quite_,' the wolf said.   
  
Rekino glanced at Hana. She certainly is eager to go, she thought to herself. She watched four of the Warriors stepping back. So that left, Flash, Scorpio, and Shades, and Ryo, Rowen, Sage, Hana, and herself to all go and get Thunder back. She crossed her fingers, hoping this would work. It had to work. What else could they lose? Sage was keeping calm this whole time. He was wondering if they were doing the right thing. He had been taught that royalty was the highest place in Earth, and should be respected and obeyed. But still he also felt something had to be done. He could only hope Thunder's real parents would change their minds. Rowen himself was thinking of several plans on how to find Thunder and help get him back. He knew it was possible their appearance could cause problems in the European country, but hopefully someone would be kind enough to help them in their quest.  
  
Blaze backed up a bit, sensing they were all ready now. He closed his eyes and concentrated. A soft glow came out of his crystal and surrounded them, and in an instant of a flash, they were gone.


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: *grabs a can of bug spray* Persistent people! Leave us alone!

**Unexpected Consequences**

Chapter 6  
  


  
  
_I hate traveling by magic. It's so damn scary!_ Rekino thought to herself. Her eyes were pinched shut and her fists here clinched at her sides. She didn't want to open her eyes due to the fact that she might look down and see nothing but clouds, which scared her to death. She came to a conclusion that the stunt that Kayura pulled emotional scarred her.  
  
'_Lady Wildfire, you can open your eyes now_' Blaze said to her.  
  
"But I don't wanna! Don't make me open them!" Rekino cried out.  
  
"Rekino, we're on the ground. It's okay," Flash said to her Japanese friend.  
  
"It is?" Rekino asked.  
  
"Yes, it is, sweetheart," Rowen said.  
  
"Okay," The raven-haired lady opened her amethyst eyes and came face to face with a nice looking tree, well to the others. Rekino saw the most horrid thing in her life. A tarantula spider was weaving its web in front of her. It stopped and noticed the human in front of it. Rekino's eyes twitched; she was paralyzed. She sent a message to Ryo. _Bro, it's a spider! A big spider! Help me!_  
  
"Ryo, what's wrong with her?" Flash asked.  
  
Ryo sweatdropped, "There's a spider in front of her," He moved from his spot and walked over to his sister. He saw what she was looking at, "Holy crap! That's a huge spider!"  
  
"I KNOW!" Rekino screamed in his ear, "That's why I can't move…AH! IT MOVED!" The Warrioress found her movement and jumped into her brother's protective arms, "Move! Get it away!"  
  
Ryo held his sister and started to back away from the insect. He was now at least five feet away from it, standing next to Rowen and Hana. Ryo put Rekino down on the ground and he saw her jump into Rowen's arms, "Damn Rekino! You've fought against life and death and you're afraid of a spider."  
  
Rekino shot her brother an evil look, "Not just any spider! A TARANTULA SPIDER! Those things can kill you if they bite you and I don't wanna be bitten! That's why I never like Dais, other than the fact that he worked with Talpa, but still!"  
  
Hana jumped in, "Back off of her, will ya? We're in Germany, it's time to go and look for Thunder!"  
  
"Chill Hana. Let's not rush into things," Sage said, "You never know what this country has in store."  
  
'_Halo's right. You eight can't just go charging in there without a plan. I suggest that you find somewhere to stay and get some rest._' Blaze said to the group.  
  
"Blaze is right," Scorpio piped up, "Thunder's my best friend, but I don't want to charge into the castle and demand him back. They could charge us with treason or something like that."  
  
Flash nodded her head, "All right. Let's head out of these woods and find someplace to stay."  
  
Everyone nodded and Ryo looked at Rekino and Rowen. His sister was still in the arms of the Strata warrior, "Uh sis, are you going to walk?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
Ryo raised and eyebrow, "And why not?"  
  
Rekino looked at her brother, "Spiders…" She cringed and shuddered.  
  
Ryo sighed, "Baby."  
  
Rekino looked at her bother, "Slut."  
  
"Booty Slave!"  
  
"Turd dumplin!"  
  
"BITCH!"  
  
"I _am_ a bitch. B is for beautiful, I is for intelligent, T is for tough, C is for caring, and H is for how hard I'm going to hit you the next time you call me one!"  
  
  
  
"Someone get some help!" Annelise screamed. She ran over to Lila's side and tried to help wake her future son-in-law up. The two queens tried gently slapping Thunder in the face.  
  
Princess Bianca snorted, "You guys are so not doing it right. Here," She got up from her chair and walked over to her mother. She scooted in between them.  
  
"Daughter, what are you going to do?" King Damien asked.  
  
Bianca smiled, "You'll see father," She closed her eyes and leaned towards her future husband's lips.  
  
Thunder woke up about the time Bianca was an inch away from his mouth. His eyes widened and rolled out from under her just in time for him to see the princess lock lips with the floor, "What in God's name were you trying to do?! Give me a heart attack?!"  
  
Lila gave a sigh of relief and helped her son up. He dusted himself off.  
  
"Well, boy, thanks for the show," Thaitus said to him. Thunder stared at him, almost dreading what he was going to say next. "But I'm rather disappointed you did not let the beautiful princess kiss you. You will have to get used to it sooner or later."  
  
Thunder cringed and looked at Bianca. She smiled almost too sweetly at him. He looked back at his father. "I don't understand. I'm not even into dating yet and you want me to marry?"  
  
The king's eyes narrowed. "And who said you were never allowed to date. I don't know what influence those Americans have put on you, but you better damn well get out of it right now! You are marrying Bianca a week and half from today, and that's final!"  
  
Thunder's eyes narrowed just as well. "And what if I refuse?"  
  
"I'm the king and your father, you have no choice but to obey me!" Thaitus said.  
  
"You may be my biological father, but you did not raise me! You aren't as kind as I thought you would be. I've met some people who could teach you a world of manners and understanding!"  
  
Thunder's face was suddenly slapped hard again by Thaitus. The king and queen of Italy were frowning deeply. Bianca was silent, just watching. They were much in shock, but said nothing as the king of Germany was correcting his son.  
  
"You will never speak to me that way again," Thaitus warned in a low breath.  
  
Thunder rubbed his cheek, glaring at his father. It was the second time that day in just a short time that he had been slapped and in the same place. Without another word, he spun on his heel and quickly left the room, bursting through the doors, startling the guard outside, and storming down the castle halls.  
  
Lila sighed again. Although she was grateful to see her son, she wished, they had left him alone. She was about to excuse herself, when Thaitus said, "Don't go after him, Lila. He must learn that kind of behavior will not be tolerated." He turned to the royal family of Italy. "I'm sorry you had to witness that. He is not used to the royalty that he is of, being raised by commoners."  
  
"Quite alright," Damien said.  
  
"Yes, we understand. We will expect him to be more focused for the wedding?" Annelise asked.  
  
Thaitus nodded. "It will be ready. I am hosting a ball in three days at eight in the evening."  
  
"We will be there," Damien promised.  
  
Bianca curtsied. "I cannot wait to dance with your dashing son, your majesty," she said. "Other than his emotional outburst, he looks simply divine. A fine catch in my eye."  
  
  
  
The warriors were all traveling through the city of Berlin, trying to find out where the castle was, and trying to make plans. They passed many people who eyed them, and some asked where they were from, and were told. Most people left them alone.

"Ok, we need to find a place to stay," Flash said. "That way we can rest up and get started on getting Thunder."  
  
"Right," Rekino said, glancing around. "But where?"  
  
They all looked around. That was a good question.  
  
"We'd have to stay at a hotel," Sage said.  
  
"The problem is finding a hotel," Rowen said.  
  
"That's easy. We just look," Ryo said.  
  
"Something tells me that won't be easy," Scorpio said. "Germany's a huge place."  
  
"I'll say," Rowen said.  
  
"Ro, please don't start telling us how big right now," Ryo sweatdropped.  
  
They kept on walking searching for a hotel or something. Finally Flash stopped a man walking his small dog. "Excuse me sir, can you tell me where a good hotel would be?"  
  
"Ah yes," the man said in his thick European accent. "You can find a great hotel called the Hotel Lindenufer Berlin."  
  
"Can you tell us where that is?" Hana asked. By now she was tired, and there was only a few things on her mind. Get rest, find Thunder, get Thunder back, go home, and another thought, which was so quiet she barely heard it herself.  
  
"Yes." The man then told them how to get there, and they thanked him, and started off in the direction he had told them to go. 

In about twenty minutes they made it to the hotel. Flash took out her major credit card and paid for everyone's expenses to stay there. They were shown their rooms which were two separate suites, one for the men, one for the woman, both attached to each other, separated only by a single door.  
  
"Ok, you guys, we should rest up and get something to eat, then go on from there," Rekino said.  
  
"Right," Ryo nodded.  
  
"Hey, Flash, where is Blaze?" Sage asked.  
  
"He teleported to somewhere. Probably a forestry," Flash said. "He'll keep himself hidden from the locals."  
  
"Oh," Sage nodded. Everyone then went to explore his or her suites. They would rest up, then eat, and then go from there.  
  
  
  
Amaya, Kento, and Cye arrived home to find Mia asleep on the couch listening to the radio. They shut the door lightly and Kento put a finger to his lips, which meant for everyone to be quiet. They all nodded and Amaya quietly walked over and pulled out a blanket. She walked over to Mia and covered her up. The French Guardian smiled and made her way into the kitchen. They saw Josephine sitting at the table looking through a photo album.  
  
"Hey Cuz! Whatcha looking at?" Kento asked rather loudly.  
  
"Shh!" Amaya said and clamped a hand over her boyfriends mouth, "You don't want to wake Mia up!"  
  
Kento nodded his head and sighed. His girlfriend sure was controlling. He looked at Josephine again, "Whatcha looking at?" He asked in a low whisper.  
  
Josephine sweatdropped, "Just some old pictures. Wanna join me?"  
  
Cye smiled at his lover; "Sure," He pulled up a chair beside her and started looking at the pictures, "Oh man, those were taken back when we first met you four."  
  
Josephine smiled, "Yeah. There's the one of Rekino and Ryo hugging after we got out from Talpa's control. There's the one of Kento and me. Geez, you sure have lost a lot of weight, Ken."  
  
"Speak for yourself," Kento muttered under his breath.  
  
Josephine shot her older cousin a dirty look, "I heard that, Godzilla. I'll get you back," She recomposed herself, "Now, moving on…"  
  
Amaya pointed at one of the pictures, "That's the one we took after the war in your family restaurant, honey. There's your Uncle Chin!"  
  
"WHERE?!" The two Hardrock warriors shouted at the same time.  
  
"He's not here; he's in the picture," Amaya stated, "Quiet."  
  
"Sorry, you scared us for a minute there, Mya. Ain't nothing scarier than that man. He'll talk your ears off," Josephine cringed at the many memories of having to sit through one of her Uncle Chin's boring stories. She turned the page, "Mia and Ryo's first kiss. I can't believe we actually got them hooked up."  
  
Cye smiled and wrapped his arm around Josephine, "Yeah and look at where they are now."  
  
"Oh Fearless One's about to be a father. Man, it blows my mind even thinking about that," Kento said. He jumped from his seat when he heard a scream. It was Mia.  
  
"That was Mia," Amaya said.  
  
"Guys! HELP!" Mia screamed again.  
  
In no time, Josephine, Kento, Amaya, and Cye all ran into the living room to see Mia holding her stomach and crying out in horrible pain. The floor looked like it was wet with some kind of water.  
  
"Guys, something is wrong with the baby! I'm going into premature labor!" Mia screamed again. Cye and Kento were at her side instantly. They helped her off the couch, "Call the hospital!"  
  
Josephine panicked and started to hyperventilate. Amaya help steady her, "There's no time!" She screamed, "Jo and I will go and start the jeep. Kento, help Mia out to the car. Cye, you get some Advil."  
  
"Why Advil?" The British Torrent Warrior asked. His brown eyebrows raised in curiosity.  
  
"AAAAAHHHH!" Mia screamed louder.  
  
"No questions!" Amaya screamed.  
  
Everyone set out to do the task they were assigned. Josephine and Amaya went out to start the jeep while Kento escorted the screaming Mia and Cye got the Advil. This was going to be a long night; however, how were the going to tell Ryo when he was in Germany?  
  
  
  
Rekino sighed heavily. She tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep. Something kept plaguing her in that back of her head. She knew something was wrong, but what? Was it Mia? Thunder? She didn't know. Without another thought, she got out of bed. She decided that she needed to talk to Ryo or Rowen about this. She pulled on her night robe and slippers. She walked down the hall quietly as not to wake the others. She opened the doors that connected to the two suites and saw her brother and boyfriend sitting their chatting. She was about to interrupt them, but Ryo asked a question that seemed to intrigue her.  
  
"So Ro, when are you gonna ask Rekino to marry you? You've been dating, oh, almost two years now." Ryo asked. He was waiting for an answer, as was Rekino. She was watching from the behind the door, which was cracked.  
  
Rowen sighed, "That's a good question, Ryo, and I honestly don't know the answer. I love Rekino with all my heart, but I don't honestly think I could marry her. I don't love her that much to marry her," He panicked when Ryo shot him this glare, "I mean, I love her, but I don't love her enough to marry her, like I said before. You get what I'm saying, don't you?"  
  
Ryo put a hand on Rowen's shoulder, "Bro, if I you weren't a part of the team, I would kill you. I just hope you don't plan on telling my little sister that. She's set that you two are meant to be and will get married."  
  
"I know. I don't want to hurt her, but I've never got the chance to tell her. She sort of scares me with how affectionate she is. She's always touchy feely and I'm not real use to that," Rowen said, "Before you say it, I know we've been dating for a long time, but it just irks me in this weird sort of way."  
  
Ryo sighed and gripped Rowen's shoulder very tightly, "Like I said, Strata, you better be glad you're a vital part of this team, otherwise you'd be a dead man walking. Just don't hurt her. You do and you're mine. Ronin Warrior or no Ronin Warrior."  
  
Rekino pinched her eyes closed and help back her sobs. She closed the door lightly and slumped against the wall and softly cried. She couldn't believe that Rowen said that about her. She buried her face in her hands and let the wet tears flow. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. She gathered what little pride she had left and stood. Her fists clinched tightly at her side. _I will never, ever, ever forgive him for this. What he just said ruined it all._ Rekino walked into the kitchen and turned on the light. She went through the cabinets and found the hot chocolate she had brought with her on the trip. She remembered her mother always made this for her when she was upset. She grabbed a pot and some milk out of the fridge. She placed in on the counter, and, before she could pour it into the pan, she clutched her head in pain.  
  
'_Rekino? Rekino, can you hear me?'_  
  
_'Jo? What's going on? What's this pain I feel?'  
  
_Amaya popped up just then, _'Mia's going into premature labor, Rekino! She's in some serious pain! She's crying out for you and Ryo!'_  
  
'_WHAT?!'_  
  
'_I know. We were just looking at pictures and all of the sudden, BAM, her water broke. We're at the hospital with her now. It looks bad._' Josephine replied with panic in her voice.  
  
Rekino gave an inward sigh of relief, _'She's only two months premature. I wouldn't worry so much. She and the baby will be fine, if those doctors don't fuck it up!'  
  
'REKINO!' _Amaya screamed at her friend, _'No cursing!_'  
  
_'Gomen nasai!'_ Rekino said quickly, _'I'll tell Hana as soon as possible. She's asleep right now. It's nearly five in the morning where we're at.'_  
  
_'Crap! It just turned dark over here._' Josephine replied.  
  
_'I wish I could be there, but I can't. We have to help Thunder. Tell Mia that I love her and I wanna see my niece or nephew soon!'_ Rekino replied to the others, although, in her heart, she was very sad.  
  
_'Kay! Au Revoir!'  
  
'Adidas, chicka!'_  
  
Rekino let go of the connection and fell to the floor in another sob of tears. First, the one man she has ever loved told her brother that he didn't want to marry her and now, her best friend is going into premature labor. The bad part was, Rekino wasn't even there to help Mia through the pain. She tried to hold her sobbing back from getting louder, but she couldn't. She hit the floor in anger.  
  
"Why? It always has to happen to the people I care for? I'm driving them away!" Rekino said angrily, but in a low whisper.  
  
  
  
Thunder had made it back to his bedroom and he wasn't very happy. He lay down on his bed, and buried his face into the pillow. He didn't sob this time. Instead he held them back and let his anger take over. Why was this happening? He wondered. Why did he have to be the lost son of these people? He was a lot happier just being who he was, not what he was. And to top it all of, he had to marry a complete stranger. It couldn't get any worse.  
  
_'Don't jinx yourself, Thunder,'_ he told himself. He stayed on his bed in that position for a long time, before he finally got up and walked over to a window and looked out of it. Figures there were guards. He let a sigh out and rested his head on the windowsill and closed his eyes. Then suddenly he opened them. What was that? No, it couldn't be. So soon? He raised his head up, eyes wide. Indeed he could sense Flash, Scorpio, Shades, Ryo, Rowen, Rekino, and Hana. They were somewhere in the country. They came to save him!  
  
He glanced at his watch. Five a.m. There was no way he'd be able to send a message to them now. They'd all probably be sleeping. Except… maybe Rekino was awake. He crossed his fingers and was about to connect when the door opened….  
  
Thaitus stared at his son with a censorious look. "How dare you embarrass me in front of the king of Italy!"  
  
Thunder frowned deeply. He had never been yelled at like this before. The only ones who had before had been enemies. He wasn't sure what to say or even what to do. So far he had been slapped twice, and his face was still stinging. He was certain it would be bruised by later that day.   
  
"You are incredibly lucky that the king is willing to wait and see how you come through," Thaitus continued.   
  
"Is it my fault I am this way?" Thunder finally spoke up. "I was a lot happier just living with my grandparents and being with my friends in America."  
  
"And look how you turned out! Like a commoner! You are no commoner. You are the crowned prince of this country and one day you rule it. And you have no choice about it!"  
  
"That's one thing I like about America," Thunder said, his eyes full of anger. "At least you can have choices."  
  
"And that's why the country is so corrupt," Thaitus retorted.   
  
Thunder glared down at the floor, wanting this conversation to be over. Finally to his relief, the king said, "Get some sleep. You're going to have a big day today this afternoon." And without another word, he left, closing the door behind him.  
  
  
  
Flash was sound asleep, but she wasn't sleeping well. She kept tossing and turning in her bed, obviously having a dream. She kept tossing and turning in her bed, obviously having a dream. In the dream she saw a long castle hallway. It was completely void of any human activity. She walked down it, keeping her eyes and ears opened. The wind blew in through the opened windows, curtains fluttering in the air. She heard a noise and turned around quickly, but there was nothing there. She resumed her normal position and held her breath, continuing to walk down the hallway, her footsteps echoing down the hallway. She heard her name. "Flash."  
  
"Who's there?" she called out, her eyes still searching.  
  
"Flash." The voice became clearer as she walked on.  
  
"Who's calling me!" she demanded. "Tell me who you are!"  
  
The voice only repeated her name again and again. Then she came to the end of the hallway and gasped. There was Thunder with a miserable and almost frightened expression on his face. And Flash woke up with a start.  
  
In the nearby bed, Shades continued to sleep on, having no idea that Flash had just woke up. She was a deep sleeper and didn't like to be awakened. Those who did wake her often ended up with a broken jaw or arm.  
  
Flash took a few minutes to compose herself and looked at her watch. It was 5:30 a.m. It was way too early for her to be up right now, but she couldn't fall back to sleep. Oh well. She got out of bed and headed for the dresser where she had put her clothes. She grabbed a pair of light blue jeans and a baby blue sleeveless turtleneck sweater, a pair of underwear, and her bra, and a pair of thick puffy white socks. She took all of her clothes and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.  
  
In the kitchen Rekino sat at the table, more like slumped over it. Her eyes were red from crying and she had seriously thought about killing herself, but had fought against the temptation. There were too many people who depended on her. _'Why Rowen? Why? We had so much going on together, why are you doing this now?'_  She had no answer to that, only her tears could offer her comfort. One thing was for certain she would never forgive him for this. She decided to get something to eat to settle her upset stomach. She searched the cupboards and found a box of crackers and sat back at the table, nibbling a few, her eyes still shedding tears.  
  
  
  
In the next suite, Ryo sat at the round table in his own kitchen, deep in thought. Though he and Rekino weren't twins, he could feel her pain. And now he was very worried about her. He was angry at Rowen as well. Why of all the times now did Rowen have to do this? He let out a sigh and drank more of his tea. So much was on his mind right now he wasn't sure how to handle it all. Everyone else was asleep so far. Including Rowen. Damn him. He let out a sigh. He needed to clear his head or do something.  
  
The kitchen door suddenly opened up and he raised his head. It was Scorpio. The young boy looked at Ryo sadly, and then grabbed the hot tea.  
  
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked Ryo.  
  
"No. Too many things on my mind," Ryo replied  
  
"Yeah," Scorpio nodded as he poured himself a cup of tea. "Same here."  
  
"We're going to get Thunder back," Ryo said.  
  
Scorpio stirred some sugar into his drink. "You sound like Flash," he said with a small smile. He joined Ryo at the table. "It's funny. In the three years since I've known Thunder, I would have never thought he was a prince. I knew he came from Germany, and he told me about his parents on the boat and of the military and how he had been kidnapped by this scientist of some kind when he was only eight years old, but that was basically it."  
  
"Rekino and Mia discovered it last year at school while in History class. What convinced them was that birthmark of his." Ryo said.   
  
Scorpio nodded as he sipped his tea. Now to think his best friend was being forced to live in some castle now. Why couldn't they have just let him decide on whether he wanted to go or not? Why was life so complicated, choices not given to those, and why couldn't this just be a dream? But it wasn't. It was all very real and there seemed to be no ending to it at all.


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: *grabs a hydrogen bomb* Okay now I'm ready. If anyone thinks we own RWs…well...*points at hydrogen bomb*  
  
Unexpected Consequences

Chapter 7  
  


  
  
Mia sat in the delivery room; her hand clutching onto Kento's and Cye's. Her throat hurt from all the screaming she had been doing. Her back was starting to hurt and she was growing weak from all the pushing she was doing, "God! WHERE'S THE MORPHINE?!"  
  
"You said that you wanted to have natural childbirth, Mia. Now, tough out the pain!" Josephine said.  
  
Mia's eyes twitched, "I'LL SHOW YOU TOUGHING OUT PAIN! WHY DON'T YOU GET OVER HERE AND PUSH FOR ME?!"  
  
Josephine slowly backed away and hid behind Amaya, who was standing behind Kento.  
  
"Come one Ms. Koji! Push!" The doctor yelled.  
  
"I'M PUSHING!" Mia yelled. She took in a deep breath and let it all out when she started pushing. She gripped Kento's hand harder than she had before.   
  
"AHH! Mia, you're killing me! Let it go! Let it go!" Kento screamed.  
  
"You're doing great, Mia! Keep pushing!" The doctor yelled to her.  
  
Amaya put a hand on her forehead, "You guys are gonna confuse her!"  
  
Mia's grip on Kento and Cye's hand slowly decreased, "I can't. I don't have the energy…"  
  
"Doctor! Her vials are dropping!" A nurse yelled.  
  
Kento and Cye started to panic while Josephine and Amaya knew exactly what to do. The put their hands together, like they were praying, and their kanji's flashed for a quick second. They sent their powers over to Mia, whose kanji flash quickly too. She felt Rowen's power as well. With her newfound strength, she sat back up and pushed with everything she had.  
  
The doctor stood there stunned until he realized that he had to do something, "That's it! He's almost out!"  
  
Mia screamed one last time as she pushed her last push. She fell back on the bed. Her brown hair clung to her sweaty head. She heard her son's soft cries. She watched as the doctors cleaned him up and handed him to her.  
  
"Here you go. Hiroshi Koji," The doctor said, writing out the birth certificate.  
  
"No. It's Hiroshi Sanada," Mia said silently. She stared down at her son. He had big greenish blue eyes and a wad full of black hair on his head. She smiled and lightly kissed her new born son of the forehead.  
  
"Aw, he's so cute!" Josephine squealed. She poked the baby in the stomach and he giggled, "He's Ryo Jr.!"  
  
Amaya shuddered, "That's a scary thought."  
  
"He looks like his dear ol dad too. That's the bad part," Kento laughed and let the baby hold his thumb. His eyes widened when Hiroshi grabbed his thumb with a great force, "AH! Get it off!"  
  
The little baby's eyes sparked and they all saw the **virtue** kanji flash quickly then disappear. They all stood in shock, except Kento, who was still complaining about his finger.  
  
  
  
Flash went into the kitchen and saw Rekino sitting by herself eating crackers. The girl looked awful. She could see tearstains on her cheeks and her eyes were blotched and red. She frowned deeply and went over to her immediately, "Rekino, are you okay?" she asked in a worried voice.  
  
Rekino raised her head to look up at the older girl and once again the tears came back. "R-R-Rowen…do-doesn't love me!" she blurted out before staring back down at the table.  
  
Flash frowned more. She sat down beside her. "What do you mean? Of course he loves you."  
  
"No, he doesn't! I…I overheard him and Ryo talking. Rowen doesn't want to marry me!" More tears poured down Rekino's face and she shook. She could barely eat any crackers now; her stomach was doing flip-flops.  
  
Flash pulled her close and tried to give her comfort. She wasn't sure what else to do. She hated seeing her friends upset like this. So all she could do was offer consolation to her.  Rekino cried on Flash's shoulder for a good solid hour. The whole time Flash sat there, allowing her to. She never complained, she never told Rekino to get revenge. She just sat there, hoping she could calm the girl down. Finally Rekino sniffled and pulled away from her.  
  
"Thanks Flash. I feel better now. Well, not really, but better than I did before."  
  
Flash nodded. "Anytime you need someone to cry on, you come find me okay?"  
  
Rekino smiled a little. "I'll do that. Thanks."  
  
It was then they both heard their names being called, inside their minds. They looked at each other strangely at first, and then they heard it again.  
  
_'Flash? Rekino?'  
  
_It was Thunder.  
  
Flash spoke first. '_Thunder! Hey, how are you holding up?_'  
  
'_Not too good, I'm afraid_,' Thunder admitted.  
  
'_What happened_?!' Rekino demanded.  
  
Thunder seemed to hesitate before he answered. '_My…my father…he's so cold hearted. He's slapped me twice already in the same place. And now I'm being forced to marry._'   
  
That had the girls both in shock. They couldn't answer for several long moments. The silence rolled on until Rekino finally spoke, _'Okay, who's ass do I have to kick? I'm in the mood for a good fight!'_  
  
'_You're not going to kick anyone, Rekino. Right now would be to dangerous._' Thunder said. '_Come to the castle tomorrow and request and audience with my parents and me. Maybe things will work out for the best!'_  
  
_'I hope so. We all miss you, Thunder.'_ Flash said sadly.  
  
_'Yes we do!_' Rekino heard a beeping noise in her head, '_Hold on, I'm getting another call! Hello?'_  
  
Flash and Thunder continued to talk while Rekino was chatting with the other 'caller'. _'So, what's been going on?'_ Thunder asked his friend  
  
'_Oh nothing. Chilie, T-Boz, Ice, and Snow stayed back home with your grandparents. They were ill. Shades and Scorpio are here with the rest of us.'_  
  
_'Man, I hate being here. I wish I were back home with my grandparents. It's really awful that they got sick. Who's all with you guys besides Shades, Scorpio, Rekino, and you?'  
  
'Ryo, Rowen, Hana, and Sage. They're all asleep right now. I tried sleeping, but I couldn't. I had a disturbing dream. I guess that same goes for Rekino.'_  
  
About that time, Rekino popped back into the conversation, '_Guys! Mia had her baby! I got a nephew!'_  
  
_'Really?!'_ Flash and Thunder said chorused.  
  
'_YES! He's so adorable! He looks just like Ryo, except he has Mia's eye color! It would've been pretty funny if they had a girl. She would've had amethyst eyes, like me!'_  
  
'_What did she name him?'_ Thunder asked.  
  
_'Hiroshi Sanada!' _Rekino said with pride in her voice.  
  
_'Hiroshi?'_ Flash asked curiously.  
  
_'It means 'generous' in Japanese! I love the name!'_ Rekino said.  
  
_'Next time you talk to Mia, tell her I said congrats!'_ Thunder said. He heard footsteps coming down the hall, _'Listen, I have to go. I was supposed to be in bed. I'll contact you guys later…'_  
  
'_All right. Take care Thunder!'_ Rekino said. She was rather sad he had to go.  
  
_'We miss you. We'll come and see what we can do.'_ Flash said sadly.  
  
_'Kay. Tell the others I said hello and I miss them dearly…'_  
  
'_Especially Hana, right Thunder?'_ Rekino interrupted him.  
  
_'Ahem, as I was saying, I'll speak with you guys later. Bye.'_  
  
'_Bye!_'Rekino and Flash closed the connection. They both sat there until Flash looked at Rekino curiously and spoke something that had been on her mind.

"Rekino?" Flash said.

"Yeah," Rekino looked at the older girl

Flash put her elbows on the table and placed her head in her hands, "What do you think Hana's going to do when she finds out Thunder is going to get married."

Rekino's eyes widened. She leaned back in her chair until she was only being supported by two legs, "There ain't no telling, Flash. I honestly don't want to think about that right now. All I can see is Hana running around in her armor with lots and lots of blood on her body."

"That bad huh?"

"Yup."  
  
  
  
Thunder lay as still as he could, eyes closed, keeping himself as relaxed as possible. He could hear the door opening but he didn't turn to look to see who it was. The guard shone a flashlight on him for an instant, checking on him. That was all he had to do. He stepped back out, closing the door softly behind him. He let out a sigh of relief. That was close. Then he yawned. He really did need to go to sleep. It was already 6:00 in the morning, and he had had no sleep at all. He let his body relax more and he soon drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
Hana woke up and forgot where she was until she remembered. Oh yeah, Berlin, Germany. '_Those bastards will pay for forcing Thunder away to this place_, she thought. She climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Thankfully it was unoccupied. She took a quick shower, then returned to the room and found some clothes to wear. After dressing, she brushed her hair out. _'I wonder what'll happen if we manage to get Thunder back? Wait…manage? We'll get him back.  He's probably miserable though. I feel sorry for him. But I can't believe he's a prince either. I still can't believe that I feel in love with him_. _I always thought it would be Sage. I have no regrets though. I just wonder if Thunder's in love with me?'  
  
_She let her thoughts fall away and fixed her hair up. She put her brush away and did a quick check of herself. She needed some makeup now. She found her makeup kit and added eye blush, mascara, some blush, and lipstick, and then some perfume. Finally she was ready for her day and for any ass kicking. She left the bedroom and walked through Flash's and Shades' bedroom. Flash was up, she could see, but Shades was still asleep. She left the bedroom and walked down the tiny hallway until she came to the kitchen where Flash and Rekino were seated at the table. Both looked up at her and greeted her.  
  
"Oh, Hana," Rekino said suddenly. "Mia had her baby!"  
  
Hana's eyes widen and she clapped. "Really?! What was it!"  
  
"A boy!" Rekino told her excitedly. "He looks like Ryo, but he's got Mia's eyes. His name is Hiroshi Sanada."  
  
"How kawaii!" Hana added and sighed dreamily.  
  
Both Rekino and Flash looked at each other, each one willing to bet they knew what Hana was thinking about.  
  
Sage was in deep meditation in his room. He had not gone out of the hotel room to search for woods in which to meditate. He did not need to get lost in this country. In the nearby bed, Rowen slept on, his snores wafting across the room. Sage was not bothered by it, allowing his mind and body to be in deep relaxation. In the living room, Ryo was shedding happy tears. He had just learned that his son had been born and he felt like running out into the streets, shouting, I have a son! But he didn't. He stayed put, hardly able to contain his excitement. Wait until everyone heard the news!   
  
Scorpio was in the bedroom he shared with Ryo. He was worried about his dad, worried about Thunder, and it was just eating him up. He was certain sooner or later he was going to have nervous breakdown. But he had to be strong. He got up from the bed and left the bedroom and went into the living room. '_Ryo sure looks happy,_' he thought. '_Wonder what's up?_' "Hey, Ryo," he greeted.  
  
"Scorpio! I'm a father!" Ryo blurted out.  
  
Scorpio's eyes widened and he smiled hugely. "Congratulations!"   
  
Ryo smiled back. He felt like he was floating on air. Soon enough Sage had stopped meditating, and he came out into the living room. He, too, heard the news, and said congratulations to Ryo as well. Never before had he seen the Bearer of Wildfire so happy before. He could just imagine how Ryo would react when he held his son for the first time.  
  
Rowen soon awoke and stretched. He looked toward Sage's bed and saw it was empty. He got up and took a shower himself, then got dressed and headed to where he could hear all the voices. He soon found himself in the kitchen and looked around. '_Okay, Ryo was happy, the others are congratulating him. Hrm. Okay. I think I know what's up_.'  "Ryo, did Mia have her baby?"  
  
Ryo whirled around. For one moment he had forgotten he was angry at Rowen. He nodded several times enthusiastically. "Yes! I'm a father! I'm a father!"  
  
Rowen had to smile. It wasn't everyday you got to see Ryo this way. Too bad there wasn't a camera around. He congratulated him on. It was an hour before Ryo settled down. Sage went to make them some breakfast in the kitchen. He checked the cupboards, then the fridge.   
  
"Hey, Sage?" Rowen said. "I don't think they provide food for us."  
  
Sage closed the freezer door. "I thought they might have with how much Flash paid for all of this. They bring the food up to us don't they?"  
  
Rowen nodded and studied Sage closely. "You were at a hotel once where they did have food already, weren't you?"  
  
Sage nodded. "Yes, I guess I got quite used to it."  
  
"Well, we better see if the girls are up," Scorpio spoke up.   
  
"Scorpio's right. We need to get started on getting Thunder back, then get back to our lives." _And to my girl and my son_, Ryo added silently to himself.   
  
Everyone nodded. They all put their shoes on and left their suite, going through the door that led them to the girl's suite.

Rowen could see Rekino in the kitchen sitting with Hana. Flash and Shades were nowhere in sight. He decided to go say morning to Rekino and headed off that way. Scorpio looked around, wondering where Flash was, then he heard it.  
  
"OWWW!!!"  
  
That cry made everyone jump to his or her feet, and almost caused the Ronins to get into subarmor.  Then they relaxed a bit when they heard the next sounds.  
  
"DAMMIT FLASH!!"  
  
"WELL, GET THE HELL UP! COME ON! WE'VE GOT THINGS TO DO, PEOPLE TO GET, PEOPLE TO SEE!"  
  
"PISS OFF!"  
  
There was another crash and a yell, followed by a bang and another yell. Finally minutes later, Flash came limping into the living room. "Shades is up!" she announced triumphantly.   
  
Everyone just stared at her in shock, all except Scorpio. When things finally settled down and Shades was awake, they all sat together in the living room. The whole time Rowen noticed Rekino was ignoring him and no matter what he said to her, she would give him a cocky answer. What was wrong with her?  
  
Ryo finally remembered he was angry at Rowen too, and he didn't blame Rekino for treating Rowen that way. The only things that were keeping him from snapping off to him, was the fact he was now a father, and the fact they needed to get Thunder back, and the fact he wanted to be with Mia.  
  
  
  
Mia held her newborn son to her, suckling him and whispering his name over and over again. She was alone in the room, the nurses having chased out Kento, Cye, Amaya, and Josephine to give Mia some privacy of breast-feeding. Mia was grateful for that, and she knew her friends would understand. They probably either went to eat something or to go home, shower, and rest up. All of them had been up all night with her and she was grateful for their help and support. She kissed her son's forehead, calling his name softly to him, and thinking how beautiful he was. She had already been shown the correct proper way to feed him and how to take care of herself. She was advised to bathe her breasts after every milk feeding so her breasts would not get crusty and cause the milk to taste unpleasant to the newborn.  
  
She finished feeding her son, then propped him up against her shoulder and gently, but firmly patted his back until he burped. She smiled tenderly and held him in her arms. Hiroshi yawned and became still, his tiny chest rising and falling. She had been told that he would sleep and feed most of the time for the next few weeks. She had been given a book called The First Year with your First Newborn. She was certain it would come to be a big help. She laid him down in his basinet beside her bed and laid back. She yawned. After she took a nap, she would see if she could get either Josephine or Amaya to watch Hiroshi while she showered. Right now, she needed sleep, and sleep is what she did.   
  
Kento slept soundly back at the house. He had decided to go home to keep an eye on the place in case anyone got any bright ideas. Josephine and Amaya had stayed at the hospital and Cye had gone out shopping for the baby, getting a few things that would be needed. Everything was peaceful, and he'd return to the hospital within two hours.  
  
Cye, himself, had just picked up a huge package of diapers, at least a hundred, some bibs, and a car seat. He checked out and paid for everything, then loaded it all in the trunk of the car, jumped into the driver's seat, and drove off back to the house where Kento would be waiting for him.  
  
At the hospital both Josephine and Amaya were in the luncheon. They were eating a meal and talking about several different things, from Mia and her newborn baby, to Rekino and the others, to Thunder, and even about the food in this place. Josephine was eating a huge whopper like building while Amaya had risotto, a French side dish.   
  
"Man, I just can't believe how cute Hiroshi is!" Josephine said.  
  
"I know," Amaya said with a smile. "But I wonder if he'll act more like Mia or like Ryo?"  
  
"Hard saying," Josephine replied, taking a bite of her sandwich. Amaya nodded. She was still curious about one thing: The kanji that had suddenly appeared on Hiroshi's forehead.  
  
The two girls finished their meals. "Well, we better get back to Mia and see how she's doing," Josephine said.  
  
"Yes, we should." And the two girls threw their trash away and headed back to Mia's room.  
  
  
  
King Thaitus made his way through the halls of the castle. He was heading towards his sons room with two servants behind him. One was carrying some clothes and the other had a tray of food. The king walked into his son's room to see him still asleep. He frowned in disgust. _Those Americans have ruined my son. I thought I told him to be up at dawn._  
  
"Sire, what would you like for me to do with his majesties clothing?" Taylor, one of the servant girls, asked him.  
  
"Nothing. Lydia, hand me that glass of water," Thaitus asked the other girl.  
  
"Yes sir," Lydia sat down the tray she was carrying and picked up the glass of water. She handed it to the king.  
  
Thaitus took the glass and rolled Thunder over. He drew his hand back and dumped the contents of the water on his son's face. Thunder shot up in to time and shook his head. His face was dripping with water. He eyes his surroundings and found his father with two servants beside his bed.  
  
"What was that for?" Thunder asked.  
  
Thaitus snorted, "I told you to be up at dawn for your training. You have already missed breakfast, but since your mother is so kind, she sent Lydia to bring you a morsel of what we had. Now, get up! You have a busy day ahead you!" The king of Germany turned on his heel and stalked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.  
  
"I'm sorry about his majesty, young prince. He just had a lot of his shoulders," Taylor replied, "These are your clothes for the evening. The ones on the top are for your training session with General Anthony."  
  
Lydia spoke next, "Her highness also wanted to tell you to come to the dining hall after you finished eating and dressing. She will take you to meet your father and the general."  
  
"All right. Thanks," Thunder said. He saw the two servants leave and he got out of bed. He walked over and took a bite of his food, which was bacon, eggs, biscuits, and sausage. After finishing that, he eyes his clothes and made a weird face. He saw a pair of spandex pants and an elegant coat of some kind. He raised and eyebrow grabbed his clothes. He also saw some kind of dress shirt in them as well. He walked into the bathroom and started to get dressed.  
  
After getting a shower, Thunder walked out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later. He took another glance in the mirror, grabbed a biscuit, and walked out of the room towards the dining hall. He found his mother sitting at the table waiting for his arrival, "Hello mother."  
  
Queen Lila turned around in her chair and smiled at the sight of her son. She got up gracefully and walked over to her son, giving him a hug, "It's good to see that you're better. We must go to the training room. Your father and General Anthony are waiting there for you."  
  
Thunder nodded and followed his mother. On the way there, he had to ask, "Why does father want me to fight the general?"  
  
Lila sighed, "Your father believes that the Americans ruined you. So, he wants to see if you have any sort of fighting skills."  
  
"Well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him," Thunder said under his breath. In no time, they walked into the training area to see King Thaitus talking with a man in about his sixties with black hair that was streaked gray. Thunder came to the conclusion that was General Anthony.  
  
"About time you showed up, my son," Thaitus said disgusted.  
  
"I have a name you know," Thunder shot back, "And I was eating and getting dressed."  
  
"Does it matter?" Thaitus asked, "This is General Anthony."  
  
General Anthony saluted, "It's an honor to finally meet the heir."  
  
Thunder nodded and eyes his father, "So, you wish for me to fight with him?"  
  
"Yes," Thaitus replied.  
  
  
  
"Okay, Thunder's in trouble guys. We need to get to him," Flash said.  
  
"Easier said than done," Hana mumbled, "Look at where we are! We're in Germany. A big as hell country and we have to find the castle or where ever he's at!"  
  
Rekino smirked, "Well, at least we know it'll be a big place with a huge lawn and guard dogs."  
  
"Shut up, smartass! I didn't need to hear that!" Hana growled.  
  
The Lady of Wildfire held up her hands, "Sheesh, chill out blondie. I was only stating a fact. Anyways, let's go ahead and start looking for the palace."  
  
"And get something to eat! They have to food here!" Sage whined.  
  
"Okay Kento, you chill out too," Rekino said to Sage's comment. She grabbed the pillow Sage threw at her, "Touchy, touchy!"  
  
"Guys, let's not argue. We don't have time for it," Ryo said.  
  
"He's right. We have to find Thunder and get him back so we can all go home," Shades said, "So, do you split up into groups or what?"  
  
"That's a good idea. We could cover more ground that way," Scorpio said.  
  
Hana sat in the chair deep in thought, "What if we get lost. We won't have anyway of getting back."  
  
"Good point," Flash said.  
  
All eight of the armor bearers sat in the living room in thought. If they split up, they could get lost, but they would cover more ground that way. If they stayed together, less ground would be covered. Five minutes passed before someone spoke up. It was Rowen, "What about tourist attractions? I'm pretty sure that they have functions that relate with people visiting the palace."  
  
"Took him long enough," Rekino said.  
  
"I didn't see you think of anything, sis!" Ryo shot back.  
  
"Shut up," Rekino said.  
  
"That's actually a good idea, Rowen," Flash said, "We need to see if a company gives tours of the palace. That way, we'll be able to know where it is for sure."  
  
"Hello! Problem! Who knows German?" Shades asked.  
  
The whole room went silent. All of them staring at Shades until Hana finally blurted out her feelings, "MY GOD! What the hell is wrong with us?! We're never going to get him back! Stupid Germans! God damn country! I WANT HIM BACK DAMMIT! WHO THE HELL KNOWS GERMAN! SPEAK NOW!"  
  
Rekino swiftly got up and slapped Hana across the face, "SHUT UP!"  
  
Hana pouted, "Okay."  
  
Sage eyed his counter part closely, "Makes me wonder if you're really in love with him, Hana."  
  
The Lady Halo shot Sage a look that could kill. Her midnight blue eyes held no emotion as she looked at him, "I'm going to say this one time and one time only, it's it any of your business?"  
  
Sage shrugged.  
  
"That's what I thought," Hana said.  
  
"Okay, let's just go out and see what we can do. I'm tired of sitting around here and doing nothing," Scorpio said. He got up and walked out of the suite.  
  
"Let's go," Flash said. She and the other got up from their seats and walked out of the suite as well. Rekino locked their room door and Ryo locked the other one. After that was done, the siblings ran to catch up with the others.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer: Don't own RW cast, so there! ****J**  
  
Unexpected Consequences  
  
Chapter 8.  
  
  
  
General Anthony guided Thunder to a more suitable area in the training room as the king and queen left them alone, going to attend other matters. The general would report Thunder's progress to Thaitus later. Thunder watched the general closely, eyeing his every move, as he seemed to circle him like a shark circling its prey before making the final kill.  
  
"You seem strong enough," the general said, "but I can't tell for sure. So, I'll start you off easy to see how well you do, then move the level up if you fare well enough against me."  
  
"Fine with me," Thunder replied with a nod of his head.   
  
The general stepped back and then suddenly he came at Thunder quickly, with a fist held out in front of him. Thunder saw the punch aimed directly for the area between his eyes and he suddenly held up his hand and blocked the punch, gripping the general's fist and keeping it from hitting him.  
  
Anthony nodded his head, though he was a bit surprised. He wasn't expecting Thunder to know how to block. He tried another move, a front snap kick. Thunder quickly turned his body to the side, and used his right arm to block the move, bring his forearm and elbow down on the general's leg, causing him to stagger back some. When he regained his balance, the general rubbed his beard. "You block quite well. I'd like to see a punch as well. Next time throw some fists in when I attack."  
  
"Yes, sir," Thunder said.  
  
The general came at him again with flying fists, and this time, Thunder not only blocked, but he punched as well. The two stayed in one spot, throwing punches, blocks, and kicks. This went on for twenty minutes or so, and neither seemed to be tiring. Anthony was impressed with Thunder's ability, but he had one accord up his sleeve, and he wanted to test Thunder's ability on it. He flipped away from Thunder and landed a few feet away from him Thunder watched him closely, waiting to see what he was going to do. Then suddenly he saw five daggers coming at him. His eyes widen, and his first instinct was to duck, but he realized the general wanted him to block them. _Just great_, he thought. Suddenly one of his arms went up and at the last moment he suddenly brought his hands down upon the daggers, striking them to the ground, two and two and one a time. The daggers fell to the ground.  
  
Anthony nodded his head in approval. "You fight better than I thought you would. Your father will be pleased."  
  
Thunder kept an inward sigh within himself. "Is the training session over?" he managed to ask politely.   
  
"Yes, I think you did well enough for today. Tomorrow, I'll take you out to some of our secluded areas and see how well you train in different environmental settings," General Anthony told him.  
  
Thunder nodded, and the General led him out the door and to the throne room. As they walked, Thunder kept his silence. He could have easily have taken the general, but a true warrior never attacks fully without reason. So he had held back, not wanting to show his true potential. The general led him through several hallways, passing servants and guards, all who bowed in respect to Thunder, which made him sweatdrop a little. Having all of this attention wasn't something he was used to, nor would never be. Did he actually walk through these halls as a young child? The memories didn't come to him. All he could remember was the boat, his gentle parents, his mother's beautiful bedtime song, his father's hearty laugh. He held his tears back. He missed them so much. Why did they have to die? he wondered. There was no answer to his question, and he had no choice but to follow the general to the throne room.  
  
  
  
Flash let out a huge sigh, as no one seemed to know what to do. She finally put her foot down. "Time out! I know German! You don't live almost three years with a native German and not learn the language."  
  
"Question," Rowen said, "are you fluent?"  
  
Flash raised an eyebrow. "I did say, you don't live almost three years with a native German and not learn the language didn't I?"  
  
Rowen turned bright red, Rekino smirked. That would show Rowen, she decided.  
  
"Hello! Can we go now?!" Hana and Shades both said at the same time.  
  
Ryo nodded. "Yes, let's get going."  
  
All of them headed off through the streets, searching for some way to get to the palace. Finally Ryo had an idea. "Why don't we just hail a tax, and get a ride so far to the castle, then take it from there?"  
  
"Works with me," Scorpio said.   
  
"Fine with me," Sage said.  
  
"Alright, let's do it then," Rekino said and whistled.  
  
A black car pulled over, and they all got in. Flash spoke to the driver, after handing him money, and the driver headed off for the castle.  
  
"Wow," Ryo said in awe. "That place must have over a hundred rooms."  
  
"How can you tell?" Sage asked.  
  
"Just guessing."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I don't care how many rooms it has," Scorpio said with a shake of his head. "All I know is my best friend is stuck there, and I know he's not happy."  
  
The driver glanced in the rearview mirror at him, but said nothing as he pulled close to a curb and parked across the tall iron gates that stretched over three miles in perimeter.   
  
"Well, this is it," Flash said as she opened her door up and jumped out. The others followed suit, and after looking both ways, they crossed the street.  
  
"So now what?" Shades asked.  
  
"There has to be a tour somewhere, right?" Rowen said, looking up and down the street.  
  
"But where?" Hana asked, almost getting frantic again. A warning look from Rekino calmed her down.   
  
"Hey, guys!" Sage cried. He had wandered down the street a bit, and was now calling them over, as if he had found something. They all came running to him, and saw what he was looking at. "Look, that tour is just going to the castle themselves. We can go with them."  
  
"Right," Ryo said. "Let's go.  
  
Ryo, Rekino, Hana, Sage, Rowen, Flash, Scorpio, and Shades, all joined the tour group and acted ingenuously, as if they had been there the whole time. No one paid much attention, other than a few usual glances. The tour lady was speaking in pure German, and Flash could understand what she was saying. She stifled a yawn, and Sage raised an eyebrow at her. Whatever the woman was saying must be boring.  
  
"What is she saying, Flash?" he asked in a low whisper.  
  
"Just the usual stuff. 'Stay in the group, don't wander away, and don't touch anything in the castle. If you're in the presence of royalty, bow to show your respect.'"  
  
"That should be easy enough," Ryo said.  
  
"That king doesn't deserve to be bowed to," Rekino said in a harsh whisper.  
  
A few minutes later, the tour lady began to walk toward the main gates, the group of twenty people, plus the eight teenagers all followed. There were two guards at the main gate. They opened the gates and allowed the people in. They walked down a wide and straight path made of marble and brick, and came to another set of gates. Two guards were here as well. After walking through another set of gates, they finally came to the castle itself.  
  
Scorpio stared up at it. "Hang in there, Thunder. We're coming," he whispered.  
  
  
  
Mia had just fallen asleep when Josephine and Amaya walked in. When they saw she was asleep, they made it a point to be extra quiet as they walked further into the room. Amaya sat down in the big green stuffed chair and Josephine took the rocking chair. The baby, Hiroshi was sound asleep in the incubator on the left side of Mia's bed. Both Guardians stared at him, smiling. They wondered what it would be like to have a baby so beautiful, to be proud mothers. But yet, each of them wanted to wait until they got their lives in order.   
  
Josephine let a sigh out as she looked toward the TV. She didn't want to say anything, but she felt bored. There wasn't a lot to do at a hospital, and who knew when Cye and Kento were going to show up. She shifted on the rocking chair and sighed through her nose. '_I should have brought some magazines to read or something_,' she thought to herself. She had taken a look at the magazines the hospitals had provided, but after seeing what was in them, she decided not to bother with them.  
  
Amaya herself was deep in thought. She wasn't bored like Josephine. Instead she was thinking of the others, and wondering how close they were to getting Thunder back, and if they were having any problems at all. Lately Amaya kept getting strange feelings, that something was about to happen to one of them, but she didn't know who or what it could be. All she could do was hope and pray everything would turn all right out in the end. She glanced over at Josephine and shook her head at her friend's thwarting behavior. Jo always had to find someway to entertain herself in the hospitals and blowing bubbles in her drink was one of them apparently.  
  
"Josephine, must you do that in Mia's room" Amaya asked.  
  
"I'm bored!" Josephine whined as she continued to blow bubbles in her pop. "Mia and Hiroshi are fast asleep, Cye and Kento haven't made it back yet, all the magazines in this place are completely boring…"  
  
Amaya sweatdropped at her friend, but there was little she could say. "Well, calm down and relax. I'm sure they'll be here soon."  
  
Josephine cast a glance at her. "Yeah, sure," she said and went right back to blowing bubbles.  
  
Amaya shifted positions in the chair to get more comfortable. '_Cye, Kento, hurry up.'_ Amaya didn't know how long she could stand it here with Josephine aka Lucy Ball. Amaya was in deep thought about her feelings when something or should I say someone brought her out of it. SLURP! SLURP!  
  
"That was a great soda!" Josephine said content with herself. At that moment Hiroshi woke up at all the commotion.  
  
"WAAAAAA! WAAAAAAA!"  
  
"Oh great going Nurse Betty!" Amaya said rolling her eyes at the Lady Hardrock.  
  
"No problem! I have this situation under control." Jo said and picked up the baby, who then began to move towards her boob, "Oh hell no! Amaya, get the Boogy!"  
  
"I thought you said you had everything under control? And why are you calling Hiroshi…Boogy?" Amaya asked as she took the baby from Josephine.  
  
"Ok first of all I have no milk for the child and at this point the only person who sucks on my boobs is Cye. Second, Boogy is a name I give to babies because of a noise they make." Josephine replied. At that moment Cye and Kento walked in. Amaya and Jo both gave the quiet finger.  
  
"What happened?" Cye asked.  
  
"Boogy tried to get milk from me!" Josephine said, "I feel violated."  
  
Kento couldn't contain his laughter, "Jeez Jo, you would think with all the brothers and sisters you've been around that you couldn't handle that. Here, let me show you how it's done," He gently took Hiroshi from Amaya, "Hey there little guy! Why the loan face?" Kento started to make funny faces for the baby.  
  
"Gahh!" Hiroshi giggled and pinched Kento's cheek.  
  
Amaya softly sighed, "Now this is what you call a true Kodak moment."  
  
  
  
Thaitus and Lila were sitting in the throne room with the commander of the German army. Commander Harry VanHoudnos had come in earlier to report the advancements in the war. The look on Thaitus and Lila's face was priceless when Commander VanHoudnos had told them the good news.  
  
"So, you're saying the war could be over anytime?" Lila asked with excitement.  
  
"Yes. Our forces had taken the Romans by storm. They didn't know what had hit them," Harry said, "I estimate that the war won't last but a couple more days at the most," The commander looked down at his beeper, "I'm being paged. I'll return soon," He saluted and left the room.  
  
Thaitus jumped from his chair and grabbed Lila and kissed her fervently. He pulled away and hugged her, "This is the best news that I've heard in years!"  
  
Lila smiled, "Certainly surprised me," She hadn't been this close to Thaitus in years, and the feelings felt wonderful. She wanted to stay like this forever; yet, a soft knock came from the door. She pulled away from Thaitus.  
  
"You may enter," Thaitus said sternly.  
  
The door opened and Thunder came inside followed by General Anthony. Thaitus and Lila were awaiting the news from the general to see how well Thunder had fought. Anthony saluted to his king and queen while Thunder walked over to his mother and stood beside her.  
  
"What do you have to report?" Thaitus asked.  
  
"Your son fights well, your highness. He seems to have been trained previously," Anthony said.  
  
Thaitus looked at his son with amazement. The Americans had completely ruined him; yet, he was in a good mood. He turned back towards General Anthony, "Good. Thank you general. Please report to see Commander VanHoudnos as soon as possible."  
  
"Yes sir!" Anthony saluted and left the room.  
  
Thunder looked at his father, "You seem to be in a good mood today, father. What's the occasion?"  
  
Thaitus smiled at his son, and Thunder almost had a heart attack, "The war with Rome is soon to be over, my son! After seventeen long years the war will finally be over! And to celebrate this occasion, the ball and wedding will be moved to an earlier date."  
  
"Say WHAT?!" Thunder yelled.  
  
"You heard me! The ball will be held later this evening at eight and the wedding will be in five days at the gardens to the north," Thaitus announced. He turned towards his three servants that were in the room, "Missy, go and inform the Italian royals of the news. Wendi and Jessica, gather the remaning servants to prepare the ball room for tonight."  
  
"As you wish," The three servants replied and set out to do their assigned duties.  
  
  
  
Borya, king of Rome, had left his castle to escape the wildness inside. He was very young to be the king. Only being twenty-eight years old, he hadn't known the experience his father had. His country was now at war with the Germans and they were losing. The king sat down on one of the many benches in his royal garden. His wife was inside talking with the Roman commanders. He had been deep in thought when a voice startled him. He jumped from his seat and drew out his gun, "Who's there?"  
  
A deep, yet evil, voice startled him, "Young king, you wish to rule all, don't you?"  
  
"Who are you?!" The king demanded.  
  
"My name is Adna, I am a sorceress, and I've come here to fulfill your dreams," Adna stepped out from the darkness to reveal herself. She was much taller than the king, due to the six-inch heels she was wearing. Her dress came all the way down to her ankles, which was slit in several places, and the top had a single strap going over her breasts.  
  
"You wish to fulfill my dreams, yet, a sorceress doesn't usually help others unless there's a price to pay," Borya stated.  
  
Adna smirked, "In order to fulfill your dreams, you must help me. I'm dying and I need someone to pass my powers on to."  
  
Borya seemed intrigued by her offer, "You wish to pass them onto me?"  
  
"Yes. By doing this, you will have your dreams. There is no one to stop you," Adna said. She stood straight up and her wings appeared out from behind her. She flew up in the air and lightning flashed between her and the Roman king. She had just passed her powers to him.  
  
Borya fell to the ground quickly. He regained his composure and watched as Adna's body vanished into thin air. He wanted to test something. He raised his arm up and motioned towards a tree. He watched in amazement as the tree completely melted. Borya laughed evilly. Now, it was time for Rome to rule over the Germans. He knew what to do. He quickly left the gardens and headed towards the castle.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer: I'm tired.  Someone else can say the Disclaimer. *Closes eyes* zzzzzzzzzzzz**

**Unexpected Consequences**

**Chapter 9.**

Somehow, Ryo wasn't exactly sure how, but they had been able to get into the castle itself. So far this tour guide idea of Rowen's was working. The eight of them stayed together, following the tour group through the elaborate spacious halls of the castle. Here and there were guards at least five feet apart, standing erectly at attention, their hard eyes staring straight ahead, and their mouths tightly closed, but their bodies ready to defend the royals in the slightest instant. The group continued to walk down the hall, listening as the tour lady spoke about the castle and the interior of it. Never once did she ill speak of the royals, in fact she seemed quite proud of the rulers of the country and encouraged everyone else to as well.  
  
As they walked along through the halls, Rekino and Flash were discussing on how to get away from the tour without being seen by the soldiers. They knew they would need an illusion to do so, and that's where Shades would come in handy.  
  
"Alright, Shades," Flash said. "You know what to do."  
  
Shades nodded and closed her eyes as she came to a stop right in the middle of the hallway. The guards looked toward her, their eyes widening, as they suddenly heard her shout, "Armor of the Warrior! Now Come!"  
  
Ryo, Rowen, Sage, Rekino, and Hana were all alarmed. What was she doing?! Calling her armor wasn't part of the plan. But Flash and Scorpio didn't seem to be too alarmed. Flash raised a hand, keeping them back. "Just wait," she said.   
  
Hana blinked, just watching. She looked up and down the hall, knowing that somewhere in this castle, was Thunder. Her heart seemed to beat a little faster. She had to keep still though. Whatever Shades was about to do, they would need it, to get to him.  
  
Sage bit his lip lightly, as he stared at Shades. A green light enveloped the girl as her armor formed over her. Her helmet was round with the top breaking out into three rounded smooth stubs, her shoulder pads were rounded, her arm pads had a few spikes on them, her boots went up to her knees, her breastplate stuck out a bit and seemed to curve inward. Her gloves came up to her forearms and had two spikes each on them. Two large boomerangs appeared in both hands. When the light faded away, the soldiers were all crying out in alarm, speaking in German, and ordering her to halt, fearing she and the other teenagers with her, were plotting against their rulers.  
  
"Shades, do it now!" Flash ordered.  
  
Shades nodded, and raised her boomerangs, keeping them leveled to her shoulders, held in opposite directions. She concentrated, her eyes still firmly closed. Her symbol suddenly appeared on her forehead, a question mark that glowed brightly. She held that form for more than a few minutes as the soldiers got closer and closer, then when they were directly in front of Shades, her eyes snapped open and she brought her boomerangs together, creating a loud clapping sound.   
  
The soldiers staggered and blinked, confusion written all over their faces. They looked around, seeing no one in the hall, except for himself or herself. And they wondered what they were doing in the middle of the hall to begin with.  
  
Shades unarmored then. "There, they don't see us."  
  
"Incredible," Rowen said.  
  
"Wow," Hana said, her eyes widen. She had never seen anything like this before. Well, except for Dais, but that was beside the point.   
  
"Let's go then," Rekino said.  
  
"Right," Scorpio nodded in agreement. And the eight of them took off in a different direction from that of the tour group.  
  
  
  
Mia had awoken moments ago, and once she had seen the situation going on, and the trouble Josephine was having with her son, she kept a smile inward, and took her baby. "I'll take over." She glanced expectedly at Cye and Kento. Cye got the idea right away, but Kento was a bit confused. So instead Cye and Josephine just dragged him out of the room.  
  
"Come on, Kento. Mia would like some privacy," Cye said.  
  
"Um okay," Kento said, blinking the entire time.  
  
Josephine sweatdropped. "She's going to feed Hiroshi, Kento."  
  
"I didn't see any bottles," Kento said.  
  
Cye sweatdropped as they walked down to a waiting room, "She'll be breastfeeding him!"  
  
Kento chuckled. "Relax. I know. I was just playing with you."  
  
Cye and Josephine glanced at each other, then back at Kento. Sometimes, Kento could be really annoying.  
  
Amaya had stayed in the room to keep Mia company and to help her if needed. She stayed in the chair, reading a magazine as Mia fed her son. So far everything was going well for Mia. She hadn't had a single problem yet. But Amaya knew that once at home, everything would change. Mia and Ryo would constantly have to awaken several times during the night to tend to him. The others would help with him as well, but mainly it would be Ryo and Mia.   
  
Amaya smiled though. It was so nice to have a new addition to the household, and she was certain that Hiroshi bore an armor as well.   
  
Mia glanced toward Amaya. "Thanks, Amaya," she said. "For keeping me company. You didn't have to."  
  
Amaya smiled at her. "It's no problem. That's what friends do. They help each other."  
  
Mia nodded and sighed a little, her green eyes looking down toward Hiroshi, a frown on her lips. This caused Amaya to frown a bit herself as she set the magazine now.   
  
"You're worried about Ryo and the others aren't you?"   
  
Mia nodded. "I just keep thinking, something bad will happen to them. I'm not quite sure what it is, but for some reason in my heart, I fear they're in danger."  
  
Amaya bit her lip. "We have to trust they'll be all right. All of them are together, and the Warriors are a powerful team and when combined with the Ronins and with Lady Guardians, all of them are a strong force. Whatever comes up against them, I trust they'll make it through. We just have to believe in them."  
  
Mia smiled. "Thanks, Amaya. I needed to hear that."  
  
Amaya smiled back. "Anytime."  
  
The whole time Hiroshi fed, his eyes closed, his little fists clutching Mia's chest.   
  
  
  
Thunder had to get away from his parents now. He had nothing against his mother, but his father… He just couldn't believe it. The ball was tonight. This could not be happening to him. He closed his eyes, keeping his hands to his head, trying to believe it was all just a horrible dream.   
  
His mother frowned at him in concern. She knew he was bothered by this, but there was nothing she could do. And as the prince he would have to attend the ball. '_I'm sorry, my son. If there was a way I could help you through this, I would_.' She thought to herself.  
  
King Thaitus glanced at Thunder as well. "Are you all right, my son?" he asked.  
  
Thunder shook his head. "I've got a headache." It was true. Hearing about all of this had given him a headache. And he wasn't sure how much more he could take, before he finally blew up.  
  
"Well, then take something for it. Remember the ball is tonight, so I want you prepared early. You will escort Princess Bianca, and you will have the first dance with her."  
  
Thunder cringed. He wanted so much to say no, but he couldn't bring himself to that. Already he had been struck twice in the face, and he wanted no more of it. Instead he nodded stiffly, and excused himself, and left the throne room, ignoring the guards that saluted him as he walked past.  
  
At the same time Missy, the servant entered the room, and curtsied before the king and queen. "Your majesty and your highness, the royal family of Italy has been informed of the arrangements tonight, and they will arrive as due."  
  
The king nodded. "Thank you, Missy. You may go now."  
  
"As you wish." The young girl rose to her feet, curtsied once more, and then departed.   
  
Thaitus grabbed Lila again and spun her around. "Everything is working out so perfectly! I have waited years for this to come."  
  
Lila smiled up at her husband. She was glad of his happiness, but she also felt saddened for her son, and there was nothing she could do for him and it pained her greatly beyond belief.  
  
  
  
Sage's eyes narrowed and he paused for a moment, looking down another hall, just 30 degrees west to them. Rekino, Flash, Shades and Hana who were walking ahead of him, kept on going. Ryo, Rowen, and Scorpio noticed that Sage had stopped and was focusing his attention to the hall.  
  
"Hey, you guys, wait!" Ryo called to the others.  
  
They stopped and looked back, and returned to the boys.  
  
"What is it?" Hana asked.  
  
"I'm not sure," Sage said. "I sense someone coming."  
  
They all became silent. They could hear footsteps now, and they got closer and closer. Rekino glanced sideways at Shades, wondering if they would need her illusions once again.   
  
"What do we do?" Ryo asked.  
  
Flash narrowed her eyes, waiting and waiting, as the footsteps continued to get louder and louder. And then they could see a figure coming toward them. The closer the figure got, the more they could make out the details. The blond hair, the dignified walk, the tall stature.  
  
Their eyes widened with surprise when the figure finally came into full view.  
  
"Thunder!" they all cried.  
  
Thunder was equally shocked. He broke into a wide smile as they approached one another, and he found himself caught up in a moment of hugs from all of them, including the Ronin boys.  
  
"I never expected you guys to get into the castle," Thunder said with a small smile. "Then again I should have known you'd do something like this."  
  
"You know us too well," Flash said. She looked at him with concern. "Are you all right?"  
  
Thunder shook his head. "No. My father is really irritating me. I want nothing more than to walk out these castle doors with you, and never come back."  
  
Hana frowned deeply. This was really angering her. She was so tempted to search for Thunder's father and tell him off, with loud curses and strikes, and with her armor on. She fought with herself though. She didn't want to make things worse for him.  
  
"Don't worry, Thunder," Rekino said. "We'll find a way to get you out of here."  
  
"I wish that could be so, but I'm afraid it cannot be."  
  
"Why not?" Ryo asked, giving Thunder a quizzical look.  
  
Thunder looked straight at him. "My parents have already received all of my records and all of my citizenship status has been counted in as the royal prince. If I was to leave with you, they would view it as abduction and if caught and captured, you'd get more time than one without royalty in them."  
  
Rowen frowned deeply. This was really tearing Thunder up, he noticed. So what could they do about it? There had to be someway to handle this without taking drastic measures.  
  
"So what do you suggest we do?" Shades demanded as she crossed her arms.   
  
"Is there a way we can talk with your father?" Rekino asked.  
  
"There may be," Thunder said. "But in order to see him, you'd have to make an appointment."  
  
"An appointment?!" Hana screeched.   
  
The others grimaced. Thunder stared at her sadly. "I'm afraid so. My father ordered that I wasn't allowed to see or talk to you, but what he doesn't know, won't hurt him. If I were you, dress as royals would and mingle as one."  
  
"What?" Ryo was trying to figure out the meaning of that statement.  
  
"He means we get ourselves disguises and get into the ball tonight to have an audience with his parents," Rowen explained.  
  
"Thunder, when is the ball?" Flash asked.   
  
"Tonight at eight. It'll last until midnight."  
  
"This sounds like Cinderella," Scorpio said.  
  
"Yeah, but the prince in that story got to choose who he danced with. I don't," Thunder said, as a scowl came across his face.  
  
"Why not?" Sage asked him.  
  
Thunder rubbed his head again. "I have to dance with the Princess Bianca of Italy. And I'm expected to lead the ball by dancing with her first."  
  
Hana's fists clenched. Okay, she could handle this. She would not explode. She continued to stare at him. There was no use in denying it anymore, though she tried to. Her feelings for Thunder were growing stronger and stronger, and she knew she wanted to be with him. She didn't care if he couldn't love her. She loved him and she wanted to show him that love. How? That was another story.   
  
Thunder looked behind him suddenly, sighing a bit. Two guards were on their way toward him. He grimaced and looked toward his friends again. "You guys better go now. I don't want you caught here."  
  
"Alright, Thunder," Flash said. "We'll see you tonight."  
  
The others nodded in agreement.  
  
Thunder nodded, and watched them head off quickly. Once they had disappeared around another corner, one thought entered his mind. How had they managed to get into the castle?  
  
The two guards finally approached him and saluted.  
  
"Young highness, we have been instructed by your father to lead you to the stables."  
  
Thunder blinked. "The stables, what for?"  
  
"He wants to see how well you ride a horse," the other guard explained.  
  
Thunder sighed heavily and nodded. "Fine, let's go."  
  
The two guards nodded, and they led Thunder through the halls and out to the stables which were several blocks behind the castle.  At the stable, Thunder was introduced to a beautiful reddish brown mare with a black tail. The horse was muscular, and stood with ease beside the handler. His mane was done up in tiny braids along his neck, his tail was bounded up in a like a bob style, the hooves were wrapped in bandages to protect them, a saddle pad was upon his back to add comfort and protection from the saddle he wore, the bridal fit snugly and the bit didn't seem to bother the horse one bit.   
  
The handler saw Thunder and saluted him as well. "Good afternoon, your highness," he said as Thunder was led toward him. "I am Rufus Kaufmann. I am the horse handler here of the castle. And this magnificent creature is Spirit Fury. He'll answer mainly to Fury though."  
  
Thunder approached the horse, and the horse lowered his muzzle to smell the boy's outreached hand. Once he got the scent of Thunder and knew he could trust him, he allowed Thunder to stroke his head and speak softly to him.  
  
Thunder stroke him for a while, and then looked at the three men. "Is this my horse?" he asked.  
  
"One of them," one guard said.  
  
"What?" Thunder was incredulous.  
  
"You have three other horses, young prince," the second guard said. "But for now, you will ride this one. He is mainly used to thrill riding."  
  
Thunder nodded, and returned his attention to the horse. Though he stroked the horse and spoke softly to him, his mind was on his friends.  
  
  
  
"Your highness," A young servant girl said as she entered the throne room of King Borya, "It's time to give your speech to the soldiers and citizens."  
  
"Thank you," Borya said. He stood up from his throne and pushed his cape behind him. To his left side, his wife, Queen Alina, stood up with him. Together, they walked out of the throne room and towards the balcony, where Borya would make his country dominate of all others.  
  
"My Lord, what is this for?" Alina asked as she walked with her husband.  
  
"To give our people hope and strength that we will defeat Germany, My Lady," Borya replied. He stepped out onto the balcony to give his speech. He let go of Alina's hand and thrust them above his head, "My loyal people of Rome, it has come to my attention that many of the people have doubts about my ruling abilities. Well, I assure you that those comments will be swallowed by the mouth's they came out of!" The skies turned dark and thunder rolled in the distance, "The war with Germany is about to be over. If my country doesn't give me their full support, I'll make you!"  
  
Alina stepped back from her husband, scared stiff. He was now glowing a dark hue of red and black, "What are you doing?"  
  
Borya turned to his wife, "Something I should've done a long time ago!" His body started glowing brilliantly. The crowds of people started to panic and run somewhere for safety, "You will not escape me! My power is forever!" His hands shot out towards the people, "Now, become my army! Become my slaves! We will conquer Germany…then, the world!"  
  
Lightning came from the skies and enveloped the young king. In mere seconds, it shot out towards the crowd. Old men became young again. Armed with weapons of all kinds. Young men turned into older men, strong and ready. The women became slaves, ready to do anything the men order. In the streets, strays and house pets became ravaging animals, foaming at the mouth, ready to bit into human flesh. All at once, the simple country of Rome became a fierce, power-hungry nation, controlled by the devils magic.  
  
Borya's laughing was uncontrollable. He heard a shriek and turned to find it was his wife, "Now…for you my beautiful mate."  
  
Alina kept backing up as he walked towards her, "No…please…stay back. Borya, what has gotten into you? AHHH!" She had been struck with the same lighting. Suddenly, her whole body changed. She became a sorceress. Her elegant, light purple dress turned into one that was dark red with black strips. The sides were slit all the way up to her hips. Her facial features changed as well. Her dark blue eyes turned red and slanted. Her eye lids were covered in dark red and black eye shadow that went all the way to her eyebrows. Her once small, pink lips turned into big, red ones. In her right hand, she held a staff, capable of any sorts of damage.  
  
The Roman king smiled at his accomplishments. He turned back towards the crowd, "Now, my lovely children, the Germans are your enemies. Go and destroy them!"  
  
Thousands and thousands of cheers could be heard as the army of dark Romans thrust their weapons in the air and cheered for their king. They set off to do their duties. Some staying in the country, while others ran towards the battlefields, ready to destroy each and every person with German blood.  
  
  
  
After Mia had finished feeding Hiroshi, Amaya stayed in the room to keep her company. The two Lady Guardians talked amongst one another until Amaya started feeling a little dizzy. She saw dreadful images in her head. A man, dressed in royal attire, changed a whole country within minutes. Mia hadn't noticed anything wrong until Amaya clucked her head in pain and started grunting softly.  
  
"Amaya, what's wrong?"  
  
The French maiden raised her head, "The peace…of the world…is…being disturbed…"  
  
Mia shot up from her spot in the chair with Hiroshi in her arms, "What do you mean?"  
  
"I can't tell. A powerful force has taken over a country…"  
  
Mia's face immediately went pale. Before she could say another word, Kento, Josephine, and Cye came barging into the room. Amaya tried to stand, but the force of the power was greater than hers, and she fainted and fell on the floor.  
  
"Amaya!" Kento screamed. He ran over to his girlfriend and picked her up gently. He placed her on Mia's bed; not waiting for the approval of the person it belonged to, "What happened?"  
  
"That peace is being disturbed," Cye said, "With her Lady Guardian powers and her kanji of trust, she can feel when a disturbance is taking place. Since she's my guardian, I felt it as well."  
  
"What does this mean?" Josephine asked, "Do we have to go and fight another war?"  
  
Mia frowned at the thought, "No! I refuse to sit here and wait for something to happen! I knew trouble would brew up!"  
  
Kento raised an eyebrow "You mean with Ryo and the others?"  
  
"Yes! Now that I've had Hiroshi, I'm able to fight!" The kanji of Life started shining brilliantly on Mia's forehead. All at once, the other kanji's in the room shined with hers. A noise made them turn around and face Hiroshi, and they saw that the virtue kanji was being brought to life on his forehead.  
  
"Well, looks like the next generation of Ronin Warriors has started," Amaya said weakly.  
  
  
  
Back in Germany, Flash and the girls had returned to their suites to get ready while the boys went to theirs. After the group left the castle, they went shopping in the local formal shops to get ready for the party. Rekino has chosen a rather expensive dress. It was light purple, with lace and silk framing the edges. Her heels, where at least two inches tall, and was the color of the dress. After Rekino had gotten ready, she stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the living room to show all of her friends her outfit.  
  
"Wow!" Hana exclaimed, "You go Fearless Leaderette!"  
  
Rekino gave Hana her evil eye, "What have I told you?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Hana sighed, "All you need now is makeup and you'll be all set."  
  
"The hell you say!" Rekino exclaimed, "I hate makeup! It gives me pimples!"  
  
Hana and the others laughed, "Well, not the kind I have. It's oil free."  
  
Rekino scrunched her nose up, "If you insist."  
  
"I do!" Hana beamed.  
  
Flash stood up, "While Hana fixes up Rekino, I'll go change now," The leader of the Warriors walked into the bathroom with her dress, shoes, hair ties, and shorts in hand. Flash emerged minutes later dressed in a silk cerulean blue dress that stopped right above her knees. Her shoes, which had no heels, matched her outfit. Her hair was pulled up in a beautiful French twist. She felt a little better knowing she had shorts on under the dress, "Okay, how do I look?"  
  
Rekino looked towards her friend and smiled, "It's tight! You look like a princess!"  
  
Shades smiled, "She's right, you do look like a princess."  
  
"Thanks," Flash said.  
  
Hana stood up from her place in front of Rekino, "Now that she's done and Rekino's ready, it's my turn. Flash, are you gonna wear makeup?"  
  
Flash shook her head, "I don't need it."  
  
"Looks like she has some on anyways," Shades said.  
  
"Okay then. Be out in a few," Hana said as she picked up her belongings, which was her dress, shoes, hair supplies, makeup, and pantyhose.  
  
"Yeah, more like an hour," Rekino said under her breath.  
  
Hana hadn't heard Rekino's comment, but the Lady of Wildfire spoke the truth. Hana stayed in the bathroom forty-five minutes. When she came out of the bathroom, all mouths fell twenty miles. Hana has chosen the most expensive dress out of them all, but it looked good on her. It was a deep forest green color and it went all the way to the floor. The top was lace with the bottom was mixed with silk and cotton. Her breasts were pushed up and you could see her cleavage. She wore body glitter on her face and chest as well. Her shoes, which weren't even seeable, were three inch green heals with diamonds on the toe, "Well?"  
  
"One word. One syllable. WOW!" Rekino exclaimed.  
  
"I'll say," Flash said.  
  
"All right! Shades, it's your turn," Hana said. She sat down carefully as not to wrinkle the dress.  
  
"Yeah, not by choice," Shades muttered. She picked up her accessories and walked into the bathroom. The Ataxia Warrior came out minutes later in a dress that looked like a combination of a skirt and a shirt. The top part was a dark green while the bottom part looked like it had been faded into a lighter green. The dress came a little past her knees and her flat heel green shoes sparkled in the light.  
  
"Not bad! I like it Shades! You're gonna knock em dead!" Hana exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, maybe," Shades said, "I wonder how the boys are doing?"  
  
"Don't know," Rekino shrugged. Ryo said just to wait here and they'll come and get us."  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me, but they better hurry up. The ball starts in thirty minutes," Flash said.  
  
In the boy's suite, Ryo, Scorpio, and Rowen were waiting for Sage to get out of the bathroom. The Ronin Leader was dressed in a simple tux with a red tie and black dress shoes. Rowen, who had been the smart one, settled for a silk royal blue dress shirt with khaki pants and a pair of black dress shoes. Scorpio had chosen the same outfit as Ryo, except his was burgundy. His shoes were the same as well.  
  
"Man, I hope Sage hurries the hell up. We're running on a time schedule!" Ryo exclaimed.  
  
Rowen snickered, "You know he's doing this on purpose."  
  
At that time, Sage came out of the bathroom dressed in an outfit similar to Rowen's, except his shirt was green and his khaki's were darker, "I sure hope Thunder didn't say formal dressing."  
  
"Uh…if a royal party is holding the ball, wouldn't you think it would be formal?" Scorpio asked.  
  
"Guess you're right. Well, I guess everything will be okay!" Sage said, "Let's go and get the girls."  
  
  
  
Commander VanHoudnos ran through the halls of the royal palace. The war had taken an unexpected turn and he had to inform his majesties at once before it was too late. He entered the throne room and jumped right to the point. He didn't even salute, "Sir, the Romans have taken our troops by storm! We have lost our defenses in points E, F, and H. Our resources have been destroyed and many of the troops have been either wounded or killed."  
  
Thaitus turned to the commander of the German army, "It doesn't matter! You said just yesterday that we would win the war in a couple more days. So, don't worry about it!"  
  
"But King Thaitus, you're men are dying and you want me to not worry about it! The Romans have gained some kind of new strategy. Either that or they've gotten very strong within a couple of hours!" Harry replied to the king, "If you ask me, we may have to surrender…"  
  
"Surrender?!" King Thaitus exclaimed, "Stop your insolent mouth! I don't pay you to sit around and tell me what we have to do! It's not a big deal! The Romans may have gotten their spirits raised or something. Now, leave me be. I have a ball to plan for tonight. Go and do what I pay you for!"  
  
"But your highness…"  
  
"I said GO! No more talk of the war! Report back to me when we have won!" Thaitus replied.  
  
Commander VanHoudnos saluted and left the room swiftly. Outside, he bumped into the king's three trusted servants, Wendi, Jessica, and Missy, "How do you ladies do?"  
  
The three curtsied, "We're fine, Commander VanHoudnos," Wendi replied.  
  
"Please, don't use such formal words. Just call me Harry," The young commander replied.  
  
"Well then, Harry, what brings you here?" Jessica asked.  
  
"The Romans have taken our troops by storm, ladies, and the king is too arrogant to listen to what I have to say," Harry snorted, "If this keeps up, we may lose our men to the Romans and force our younger men to fight, which won't be good. They'll be inexperienced."  
  
Missy raised an eyebrow, "So, we're losing the war and King Thaitus doesn't believe that we will lose. He's too wrapped up in this ball and the marriage of Prince Thunder and Princess Bianca to pay attention to anything. His arrogance is going to get him or someone he cares for killed someday."  
  
"I agree," Wendi piped up, "First, he ordered his son to come back and then he's forcing him to marry Princess Bianca who, in my opinion, is a stuck up snob!"  
  
"It's a crying shame, really," Jessica said, "Oh, while I was running errands for her highness, I saw the prince's friends in a tour group in the castle. Maybe they came here to help with the situation."  
  
"Maybe," Harry said, "Do you think they'll be at the ball tonight?"  
  
Missy put her hand to her chin, "Most likely. We were with the king and queen while they were retrieving Prince Thunder from the America's. We caught a glimpse of a girl with brown hair running towards the car while we were pulling away."  
  
"If Prince Thunder's friends are at the ball tonight, please escort them to me. The prince doesn't want to stay here and if his father won't listen, then we'll help him with the kings approval or not," Harry looked down at his beeper, "If you'll excuse me ladies, I have an urgent matter I must attend to. It was a pleasure talking with you three ladies."  
  
The three girls curtsied again, "The pleasure was all ours," Jessica replied. Commander VanHoudnos bowed and went towards the exit while the three servant girls made their way into the throne room to help decorate for the ball tonight.  
  
  
  
In Rome, the King Borya sat in his throne with Queen Alina to his left side. He had received the reports of the advancements in the war. He was ecstatic. Not only had his demon soldiers killed over three hundred men, but they had destroyed numerous campsites where the Germans supplies were. He glances towards his wife. She was as beautiful as ever. He did a wonderful job with her as he did with the whole country.  
  
_Let those German fools try to get into this country. They won't have a chance. With my new found power, I'm going to rule the world!_


	10. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer: We own all but the Ronin Warriors.   
  
Unexpected Consequences  
  
Chapter 10.  
  
  
**Thunder had mounted the stallion by now. At first the stallion had been alarmed, but when the handler spoke softly to him, the horse calmed down. Once he was ready, Thunder took the reins from the handler and led the horse away into a more suitable pasture for riding.  
  
The two guards and the handler watched him carefully, taking notes of his riding, his posture, and his agility. At first Thunder had a bit of a hard time riding, but after a while he got the control of it.  
  
_'Okay,'_ Thunder thought as he concentrated. _'Now what did Scorpio say about riding horses? Oh yeah. Keep your feet evenly balanced in the stirrups, shoulders level, knees against the sides, but not too hard.'_ All the lessons that Scorpio had taught him in horse back riding were slowly paying off. He began to build more courage and soon he was riding almost like a pro. The horse neighed and tossed his head, clearly wanting to run, but Thunder held him back.  
  
"I guess that's why they named you Spirit Fury," he murmured. The horse only snorted, and Thunder led him throughout the pasture. Finally the Warrior of Storm broke the horse into a canter, then finally a gallop. And this is what the horse wanted. Running was the stallion's favorite things to do.  
  
When he had ridden for a good fifteen minutes, he heard one of the guards call for him. "Prince Thunder! It is time for us to go back inside. The ball will be soon!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Thunder muttered as he brought Spirit Fury to a slower pace and then rode him to the guards and the handler. He dismounted and handed the reins to Rufus, and the handler led the horse off, to walk the horse in order to cool him down. Thunder followed the guards back into the castle. Once in the main hallway, he was immediately seen by the king of Germany.  
  
"There you are my son!" Thaitus exclaimed as the older man hurried over to him. Thunder frowned a little, almost dreading on what he would say. He forced himself to remain poised though.  
  
"Hello, father," he greeted as respectably as he could.  
  
"How was your riding?" the king asked.   
  
"It went well," Thunder replied.  
  
"Good! Good! You can tell me all about it later! Right now, go to your room and prepare for the ball. The appropriate apparel has been laid out for you. Hurry now!" Thaitus' order was firm and quick, and Thunder had no choice but to obey. He had been taught to obey those in higher authority. So he just nodded and slowly headed toward his room, his head down.   
Once he got to his room, he closed the door behind him and looked toward his bed. There were the clothes he was to wear tonight, all neatly folded. He picked up the crisp white shirt and studied it. It was a formal point collar dress. He laid it down and picked up the tuxedo and stared at this one as well. It was a black three-buttoned tuxedo jacket. He laid it down beside the shirt, and stared at the pants next. They were black with just one front snap button in the middle. The tie was black and matched them, and the shoes were black and polished so much he could see his face in them. He let out a heavy sigh, picked up all of the clothes and went into the bathroom.  
  
He took a shower in record time, and when he finished, he dried off, and dressed in the clothes. After he was done dressing, he brushed his hair out and applied cologne to himself, he cleaned his mess, and left the bathroom, feeling a bit strange in the outfit. He hadn't worn one for several months, and that was for a wedding his grandfather's friends had had. He grabbed his shoes and slipped them on, and then checked himself out in the mirror on his dresser. Good enough, he decided. He then left the room.  
  
In the ballroom, guests that had been invited were scouring in by the dozens. The entire room was beautifully decorated with chandelier lights and candles. There was an orchestra that had been hired and they had already begun a symphony. At this present time no one was dancing, they were all talking and drinking of the finest wine out of the beautiful crystal wine glasses. 

The king was waiting for the reason for the ball to start. The royal family of Italy had not arrived yet, but that was expected. They would arrive soon. Then his eyes saw Thunder. His son was entering through the main doors. At once all eyes turned toward the German prince. At once the young daughters of the men nearly lost their drinks, but were able to catch onto them in time. Thunder ignored them and all the formal salutes to him as he approached his parents.  
  
"You look so grown up!" the queen gushed.  
  
Thunder blushed noticeably. Lila smiled. She was really sorrowful she had not seen him grow up. Perhaps she could somehow contact the ones he called grandparents and ask for photos of him growing up. She'd have to get around her husband sometime though.  
  
"You look well, my son," Thaitus said with a proud smile. "You can dance can you not?"  
  
Thunder nodded. He could never lie, not even to the one man he disliked. Besides if he did lie, his father would put the ball on hold and make him attend quick dancing lessons.   
  
"Excellent!" Thaitus smiled, and then he looked up as a guard approached him. The guard saluted. "Sir, announcing the royal family of Italy!"  
  
"Good!" the king bellowed with a pleasing smile. He looked toward the doors as a group of guards escorted King Damien, Queen Annelise, and Princess Bianca into the ballroom.  
  
The room went silent again and everyone paid their respects to the royal family of Italy. Thaitus tapped Thunder on the shoulder and directed him to look at the princess. Thunder sweatdropped as he did so. The princess was dressed in a strapless black sparkling gown that was held halfway around the middle of her breasts and the sleeves went down half way to her wrists where they hung off just a few inches below them. She wore large gold hoop earrings and a pearl necklace. Her hair was done in such a tight bun; Thunder got a headache just looking at it. She wore makeup that looked applied a little too much. He could already hear Flash's voice in calling the princess a slut. But Flash wasn't there. His thoughts immediately turned to Hana. He didn't want to admit it, but he had been thinking of her more and more, but why exactly? His feelings were so mixed up he didn't know what to call them. It made him feel almost dizzy and all he wanted to do was just go back to his room and think more about her while he sorted his feelings out.  
  
Thaitus cleared his throat, and Thunder looked toward him and held back a sigh.. The royal family of Italy approached and the two royal families formally greeted one another. Princess Bianca gave her best dashing smile to Thunder, but Thunder did not smile back. In fact he hardly saw her now.. He was too busy seeing Hana's face instead.  
  
  
  
Back at the suites, the boys crossed over to the girls' room to pick them up. Rowen tried to flatter Rekino as he thought she looked beautiful, but Rekino had just shrugged him off and walked to her brother's side. Rowen was confused and a little hurt. He didn't understand why she was being this way. Ryo only glanced at him and didn't even say anything to him. He let out a sigh and tried to keep focused on what they were going to the ball for.   
  
Sage was practically drooling at Hana and Flash. He couldn't help himself. His feelings between the two were so confusing; he didn't know which one he desired the most. It was a hard choice to make.  
  
"Well, are we all ready?" Scorpio asked.  
  
"Yes," Flash said.  
  
"Let's just get this done so I can wear my jeans," Shades muttered.  
  
"I second that," Rekino said.  
  
And all of them headed out of the motel and at once saw a black limousine waiting for them.  
  
"Whoa!" Sage exclaimed.   
  
"How'd that get there?" Rowen wondered.  
  
The voice of Blaze appeared in their heads.  _'I had summoned it for you. Do not worry.. Everything is taken care of.  Be careful. The forces of evil have struck_.'  
  
"Oh great!" Rekino muttered under breath. Why was she not surprised? They all climbed into the backseat and the doors were shut. The car was started up, and the eight of them rode in style back to the castle. The ride to the castle was one of silence, each one thinking his or her own thoughts.   
  
Rekino had her thoughts on Mia and Hiroshi. She could hardly wait to see them. Scorpio and Flash had their thoughts on Thunder, and Flash was thinking they would have to fight again soon. Shades was actually looking forward to the upcoming battle. Sage still couldn't take his eyes off Flash or Hana. Ryo was thinking so silently his thoughts were barely heard, even by himself, and Rowen was trying to figure out what was wrong with Rekino. The limo continued to drive toward the castle, passing buildings and people. Finally it entered through a gate and drove up a long cobbled driveway and parked at the front of the stairs. The doors were opened and the eight of them got out.   
  
Hana smoothed out her dress and looked upward. This was it. And they went up the steps and inside the castle. The palace was extremely quiet. They stayed together as they were led to the main room where the ball was held. All of them acted as naturally as they could, though Ryo and Scorpio felt a bit nervous. People glanced toward them, and greetings were exchanged. The Ronins, Lady Ronins, and the Warriors did not give their real names, and no one asked for them either.  
  
Hana's eyes darted around the room, searching for Thunder. She saw many young men, some escorting a woman, others were standing with other men, talking to each other. And then finally she found him. He was standing with his parents, talking to them, and listening. Actually, he looked pretty quiet and was just nodding his head to whatever they were saying. Her eyes widened a little. He looked so handsome in that tuxedo. Her eyes watered. She wanted so much to run to him and hug him, but she could not. Her eyes drifted toward the family near him. And a scowl came to her face.   
  
Flash came to stand beside her, also looking at Princess Bianca. "Can we say slut?" Flash muttered quietly so that only Hana heard her. "Yes, I think we can."  
  
Hana smirked and nodded in agreement.   
  
Thunder had noticed his friends and was trying to think of an excuse to join them, but so far his father kept on talking, not giving him a chance to speak, and Thunder hated to interrupt. So he was forced to wait while stealing glances toward his friends.  
  
"I think it's time we've gotten this ball started now," Thaitus said to him. "Ask the Princess Bianca to dance with you."

Thunder's eyes widened and he was about to argue, when his father took him roughly by the collar and guided him off toward to the side, away from everyone else.  
  
Rekino looked toward them, her eyes narrowing. She held her temper back, and continued to watch. It seemed that Thunder's father was reprimanding him for something but for what? She had visions of using the Lady Inferno on him, but she held back.  
  
Finally the king and Thunder returned to their places and Thunder looked more miserable than ever, his father's words ringing in his ears. '_Don't embarrass me in front of the royal family of Italy. We've had plans to wed you and Bianca and unite our kingdoms into an alliance. Don't ruin it._' He let out a sigh and forced himself to approach the princess.  
  
Hana's eyes were still on him. She already knew he did not want to dance with her, but he had no choice. She imagined it was she he danced with. She could feel his arms around her, guiding her across a beautiful floor roof under a full moon while sweet music played. She felt dizzy almost, but with elatedness. She brought a hand to her head so she wouldn't fall down.  
  
The music started up, and the people watched as Thunder led Princess Bianca to the middle of the ballroom. He was so embarrassed at how everyone was staring at him, it made him want to run from the room and hide in his room. But he stuck with it and forced himself to dance with her.  
  
"The poor guy," Scorpio said softly as he watched his best friend. "He doesn't want to dance with her."  
  
"Yeah, no kidding," Ryo said.  
  
"It's a shame he has no choice," Rowen said with a shake of his head.  
  
"He does," Shades muttered. "They just force him not to."  
  
Flash nodded sadly as she watched them. Soon enough other couples joined together and the ball formerly started.  
  
  
  
"I grow tired of sitting here, my lord," Alina said to her husband, who was sitting on the throne relaxing, "Have me do something. I thirst for battle and blood shed just like the others! My Lord, please…"  
  
"Alina, my dear wife, you're time will come," Borya stated. Not long after that, he sensed something. He closed his eyes and concentrated. It was coming from Germany. He could see images in his head. Armors…powerful armors were in the palace. He saw a boy and a girl, both with shaggy black hair, with red armors on that could transform into white armors or become one that was gold. He saw two blondes, both had blue eyes, the girls were darker though, with green armors on. An image of a dark blue armor and its bearer, a boy with blue hair, appeared in his mind next. Then, an image of a girl with brown hair wearing a white and blue armor standing next to three other people, a girl with black hair wearing a green armor, a boy with orange-brown hair in an yellow armor, and the last one was another blonde male and his red armor with black designs. He laughed and Alina looked at him strangely.  
  
"Borya, what has gotten into you?" Alina asked. Her thin black leather heels made a loud clicked noise on the floor, "Are you all right?"  
  
"The blood shed you were thirsting for just came true, my love," Borya said slyly. He could also sense something within one of the armor bearers. The blonde male with the green armor was…angry. His anger was built up inside him. The king could tell it would do great damage if he were one of his slaves, "Alina, go to Germany. A ball is being held in the palace right now. Nine young men and women are your enemies, plus the king and queen of course. But, there is one I would like you to pay special attention to."  
  
"And that would be?" Alina asked.  
  
"A boy, around the age of eighteen, with blonde hair and dark green armor on, has anger built up inside of him," Borya concentrated and materialized a gem, "Place this gemstone on the orb of your staff. When the time presents itself, strike him with it. It contains lighting, which he'll absorb, and put him under a strong spell."  
  
Alina kissed her husband on the lips, "You're generosity won't be in vain. I'll carry some soldiers along with me to keep the others distracted."  
  
Borya smiled, "Fine with me."  
  
Alina smiled wickedly and vanished. She appeared in front of a thousand soldiers that were preparing to go into battle, "My army. We have been given the gracious honour by our king to invade and trash the Germans ball. Killing is allowed! Now, let's move out!" The soldiers gave yells that were in the favour of their queen. With a snap of her fingers, Alina teleported herself and the troops to Germany.  
  
  
  
Commander VanHoudnos sat with five guards on duty of protecting the castle. He was inspecting their progress. They were young men, around the ages of fifteen, and already being brought into a senseless war. He sighed as his inspection continued. He looked towards the north and noticed something. Dozens of houses were on fire and people were running in the streets. His eyes widened when he saw the Roman army being lead by the queen, Alina.  
  
"Men, stay on your posts! Shoot all that try to infiltrate the castle!" Harry ordered and turned around.  
  
"Commander VanHoudnos, where are you going?" One of the soldiers asked.  
  
"I'm going to inform his majesty! Don't take your eyes away from the invaders. Shoot men! Shoot!" Harry commanded. He turned on his heel and ran straight for the castle when a Roman soldier jumped in front of him. He drew out his sword, "Die you hell demon!" He jabbed the sword straight into the soldier's throat and pulled up. He didn't have time for this. He kicked the dead Roman off of his sword and ran into the castle.  
  
  
  
Back at the ball, Rekino and Ryo had found time to dance with one another. The two siblings had never been to a formal party before, and they loved it. Ryo looked at his sister, "You know, with those heels on, you're as tall as me!"  
  
"Shut up," Rekino said. She placed her head on Ryo's shoulder, "I miss mom and dad."  
  
Ryo put his head on Rekino's mop of hair, "Yeah. Not a minute goes by when I don't think about them," He noticed something, "You make a good pillow with your mop top look going on."  
  
Rekino closed one of her eyes and just looked at her brother, "Two words. Two syllables. Fuck you!"  
  
Somewhere amoung the crowd, Sage and Flash were looking pretty cozy while dancing with one another. Sage had been a little nervous when he asked her to dance, but he was glad that she said yes. It diverted his mind from Hana. He thought she looked so beautiful in her gown, but the girl in his arms had his undivided attention. Elsewhere, Shades, Scorpio, Rowen, and Hana were talking about the evil that was arising.  
  
"What do you think it is?" Hana asked.  
  
Scorpio put his hand to his chin, "Not what, but who."  
  
"Do you think it could be another minion from the Dynasty?" Rowen asked, "Or from Tutock?"  
  
"Possibly," Shades said, "I just don't want them to come to us. I want to go to them."  
  
At that time, Commander VanHoudnos ran into the ballroom and everything stopped. Thaitus looked at the commander with anger in his eyes, "What's the meaning of this, Harry? Can't you see I'm hosting a very important event?"  
  
"Who gives a damn about your ball! Our country is in danger!" Commander VanHoudnos shouted loud enough that the whole world could hear.  
  
About that time, a woman's scream diverted the crowds' attention. All eyes moved from Commander VanHoudnos to a courtesan being lifted up by a Roman solider. His smiled was wicked as he twisted her neck all the way off and licked the blood off his fingers. The crowd started to panic.  
  
"Oh great!" Rekino sighed, "Lady Guardians, let's kick it up!"   
  
Immediately Rekino and Hana both called their subarmors and then their armors.  
  
"Symbol of Virtue, shine forth and envelope me in the Lady Ronin Armor Wildfire, Jin!"  
  
"Symbol of Wisdom, shine forth and envelope me in the Lady Ronin Armor of Halo, Chi!"  
  
The two Lady Ronin Guardians were immediately in armor. The people around them gasped. King Thaitus shouted out demands for more soldiers to protect the castle. He ordered five guards to stay with Thunder and ten soldiers to stay with him and his wife, more soldiers stayed with the royal family of Italy. Princess Bianca was clutching to her dad's shirt, scared stiff.  
  
"Ronin Warriors," Ryo said in a firm voice. "To arms! Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!"  
  
"Armor of Halo! Tao Chi!"  
  
"Armor of Strata! Tao Inochi!"  
  
Instantly the three Ronin Warriors were in armor as well. Ryo drew his blades. The five of them attacked the Roman soldiers that had suddenly poured in. Rekino was already slashing her way through, Hana was flipping through the air, cutting down soldiers that came at her, Rowen shot off several arrows killing soldiers left and right, Ryo spun and hacked, flipped and dodged, striking at whatever Roman soldier got in his way, and Sage was slashing left and right. A Roman soldier jumped in front of him and knocked him back, but a quick slash to the neck, ended the assault before it even started.  
  
Flash looked toward Shades and Scorpio. "Armor up!"  
  
Scorpio nodded and raised his arm up. "Armor of the Warrior! Now come!" A bright yellow light engulfed him. When it cleared, he was dressed in a yellow armor.  
  
Shades called hers next. "Armor of the Warrior! Now come!" The green armor was formed around her, her two weapons appeared in her hands. She was ready. Immediately she jumped into the fray, letting her boomerang fly out where it knocked down several soldiers before returning back to her. She threw the second and this one too knocked down more before coming back.  
  
Scorpio took his weapon, a bo-staff and swung it around crazily, knocking soldiers off their feet, and then sending them flying as if it was a hockey stick hitting putty. Many flew out the castle windows.  
  
Flash suddenly threw one Roman soldier over her shoulder where he crashed into a wall. She looked toward Thunder. "Thunder! Armor up!"  
  
Thaitus and Lila had heard her and looked toward her. Their son, armor up? What was going on here? Who were these teenagers helping their army, and how did they know Thunder, and why did they seem so familiar?  
  
Thunder nodded at Flash and stepped back a bit from the soldiers guarding him. He raised an arm to the air. "Armor of the Warrior! Now Come!" Instantly the red glow surrounded him and he was soon in armor. He did a somersault into the air and kicked a soldier out the window, then took his no datchi and slashed at another soldier.  
  
The royal families were more than shocked. They had never known their son to have a mystical armor. What was going on here?   
  
Flash was thinking of armoring up, but something kept telling her not to. She had learned long ago to listen to that little voice, and so she fought without one. She summoned her sword, (not the Firestarter sword. She actually has three swords. Her regular sword, her Firestarter sword, and her spirit dagger) and began to fight off the Roman soldiers.  
  
Commander VanHoudnos sighed in relief. So far the Roman soldiers were going down, and it was all thanks to these young warriors, whoever they were. He only knew they were Prince Thunder's friends. Then again, it struck him surprised that Thunder was wearing an armor like the rest were. He suddenly felt a fist coming for him, and he ducked down to the right, and brought up his elbow against the man's face, the area between the forehead and the nose, knocking him out.  
  
Ryo kept on fighting. He was tempted to call his surekill, but there were too many people in the room. Someone could get hurt. So he continued to fight the way he was, hacking, spinning, and leaping. Someone suddenly tripped him. He felt a sharp cut to the back of his neck and cried out in pain, struggling to get the attacker off him. And then someone body slammed into the attacker, knocking them off. He climbed shakily to his feet.  
  
Flash back flipped and landed next to him. The attacker she had tackled off Ryo was knocked out.  
  
"Thanks," Ryo said.  
  
"No problem," Flash replied, sending another soldier into Rekino's path where the Lady Ronin slashed him. He fell stiffly to the ground.  
  
"Well, this is all very interesting indeed," a mysterious voice said.  
  
The fighting immediately stopped and everyone turned and stared as a woman materialized in the middle of the room. She was tall, even without the heels she wore, her hair was loosely flowing over shoulders and back, her dress was black and long and tight so that it formed over body perfectly, showing every curve, her lips were red and full, she held a staff with a gem on the top of it.  
  
Rekino's eyes widened. "Who the fuck are you?!"  
  
The woman smiled. "I am the shadow that lurks in the night. I am the silence that creeps in your ears. I am…"  
  
"A slut," Flash interrupted her.  
  
Queen Alina cast Flash a glare. She didn't like it when people called her such names, especially commoners. And then she saw him, the one her husband wanted. The one with the blond hair and in the green armor was standing next to a girl who had on the same kind of armor. She raised her hands and got the attention of her soldiers, "My servants, it's feeding time!"  
  
Hana snorted, "This is just freaking lovely!" She raised her sword above her head and swung it around, taking out five soldiers that had surrounded her, "Hey Sage, the woman's get her eye on you."  
  
"What?" Sage asked. He looked towards the queen of Rome and noticed that she was staring at him…evilly, "Well, I have another fan!"  
  
Hana sweatdropped, "Now's not that time for that, Sage!"  
  
Rekino noticed that conversation and sent a message to Ryo, _'Hey bro, the slut has her eye on Sage. Something's brewing and I don't like the smell of it!'  
  
'Okay, I'll handle this,'_ Ryo looked towards Rowen and Flash, "The evil lady has her eye on Sage. We need to get around him!"  
  
"Right," Rowen said. He shot a couple of arrows at the soldiers around them and cleared a path for them to get to Sage.  
  
"Shades, Scorpio, follow me!" Flash said. She used her tight sword and cut five soldiers in half from the waist down. Scorpio used his bo-staff to poll vault over most of the soldiers and followed Flash. Shades threw off her boomerangs and jumped up, catching them in mid-air. She landed on the head of one soldier and jumped off, landing on another one. She used the soldier's heads as her stepping-stones to get to the others.   
  
In no time, Rekino, Rowen, Ryo, Flash, Shades, and Scorpio were around Sage while Hana went to help Thunder with the civilians. The battle so far hadn't turned out to be good. There were already too many casualties involving the innocent people. Queen Alina looked at them strangely.  
  
"My, you teenagers seem to be oblivious to the fact that more of my soldiers are outside," Alina snickered.  
  
"What?!" Ryo screamed.  
  
"This isn't good," Scorpio said as he hit another soldier with his staff.  
  
Shades sighed, "I knew they would come to us first. Damn…"  
  
Thaitus was starting to panic. His kingdom was being destroyed and he couldn't do anything. Outside, he could hear the screaming of his citizens, "Guards, go outside the palace and protect the citizens."  
  
Flash looked back towards the king, "You don't have to do that," She shook her head. She put away her sword and used her martial arts to get away from the soldiers and walk outside to face the others alone. Scorpio and Shades looked at one another and nodded. They followed Flash outside.  
  
"Damn! She can't do it alone!" Ryo said, "Sis, I'm going outside to help Flash. I'm leaving you to take care of Sage. Don't screw this up!"  
  
"I won't!" Rekino yelled back. She saw her older brother slash and hack his way through the line of soldiers, making it possible for him to get outside.  
  
Rowen looked at Rekino, "I'm going with Ryo. Will you be okay?"  
  
"Whatever," Rekino replied and got back to work killing soldiers with her katanas. Rowen looked at her sadly and jumped above the soldiers, flying over them. He landed at the entrance and went outside with Ryo, Scorpio, Shades, and Flash, who had already destroyed over a fourth of the soldiers with her pyrokinesis.  
  
Sage and Rekino fought back to back while Thunder and Hana did the same. Out of nowhere, a soldier pinned Thunder down on the floor and held a sword to his throat.  
  
"Thunder!" Hana and Lila screamed at the same time. The next thing they heard was a barking noise. They saw a blur run past them and tackle the soldier to the ground.  
  
The Storm Warrior looked up and saw his dog, Disani, hovering over him, "Thanks Disani, you just saved my life!" At that, the dog barked.  
  
Rekino continued to stay close to Sage. She fought fiercely against the Romans. Her thoughts were somewhere else though, how did the Romans get so strong? She looked towards Queen Alina again and noticed a strong aura emanating from her body. She could only figure it was her, but where was the king? Did she kill him or did he survive. She was brought out of her thoughts by a loud shriek. She looked towards her left and saw Princess Bianca being held by the throat. _'Oh, this is great. Just fucking great!'_  
  
"Daddy! Help!" Bianca screamed.   
  
Rekino was fighting with herself. She could save Bianca and leave Sage alone, or stay with Sage and let Bianca die, but she couldn't live with the death of a girl on her conscious. With a quick movement, she jumped over the soldiers, with her katanas raised above her head, and cut off the soldier's arms. She took out the rest of him with a slick sword technique. Bianca panic when the hands were still attached to her neck. Rekino sighed and grabbed Bianca's shoulder and removed the hands.  
  
"You shouldn't be here!" Rekino hissed in her ear, "Now, return to your father or you'll be killed."  
  
Queen Alina saw the girl leave her prey's side. She wickedly smiled. She raised her staff and summoned the spell. She shot the magic at Sage, which he absorbed. She noticed that he fell to the ground and she ordered a soldier to attack him making it look like she did nothing.  
  
Hana saw a soldier heading towards her counterpart, "Sage!" She couldn't take it anymore. She jumped in the air and put her hands to her face, "Halo's Light!" Every enemy, including the queen, was rendered blind for a couple of minutes while Hana's allies were healed. Hana landed and ran for Sage, killing every soldier in her way, while Rekino and Thunder destroyed the rest. She saw her counterpart staggering to get up, "Sage, are you okay?" She helped him stand up.  
  
Sage raised his head and looked at Hana, "Yeah…never better," his words were spoke softly, but they had a hint of evil in them, "Thanks."  
  
Hana smiled. Her midnight blue eyes shining, "You're very welcome," She saw Rekino running towards them, "Hey Rekka, what's up?"  
  
"Oh God! Sage, are you hurt? Did anything happen?" Rekino looked him over at least three times, "Ryo would kill me if anything happened to you."  
  
Sage smiled evilly at her, "I'm fine, Rekino. In fact, why don't you leave me alone, you whore!" He pushed Rekino away and grabbed Hana, putting his no datchi to her throat.  
  
  
  
Outside, Ryo and Rowen stood back-to-back, killing soldiers by the dozen. Scorpio and Shades were beside Flash, helping get rid of the ones that she set on fire. Already, more that three-fourths of the soldiers had been destroyed, and it was looking like the battle was one. All of the sudden, the soldiers that were left came together and formed one giant monster.  
  
"Oh, now this is just dandy!" Flash muttered. She looked at Ryo and Rowen, "Can you two control your attacks to just the enemy and not let the power go astray?"  
  
Ryo and Rowen looked at one another before Rowen answered, "I'm pretty sure we can."  
  
"All right," Flash said, "We'll attack together on the count of three," She started to gather her strength while Ryo and Rowen stood at her right said and Shades and Scorpio stood to her left, "One…two…three…now!" Her hair flew wildly behind her as her symbol, a flame, shined with brilliance. The flames from her attack engulfed the monster.  
  
"Flare Up Now!" Ryo aimed his attack and mixed it with Flash's, giving it extraordinary power.  
  
"Arrow Shock Wave!" The arrow whizzed in the air and hit the monster square in the chest.  
  
"Water Torrent Power!" Scorpio summoned water from the surrounding lakes to help full his power. He water crashed into the soldier with the force of a powerful tsunami.  
  
"Boomerang Power Attack!" Shades sent her attack towards the enemy. The attack sent the enemy down to his feet.  
  
All of the armor bearers held the attack long enough for the monster to start melting. Flash immediately sent her powers into overdrive to help finish the monster off. They called off the attacked and watched the monster melt into a puddle.  
  
"Ehewwwwwwwwww…" Ryo said and moved his lips back and forth. He popped a bubble with his sword, "That's nasty."  
  
They all heard a scream from inside that sounded like Hana. Then, they heard cussing, which sounded like Rekino. They all looked at one another and ran back into the castle to see all of the Romans dead, but that wasn't the problem. Sage had his sword up to Hana's neck and was walking back with her. Rekino and Thunder were standing beside each other, looking like they could kill.  
  
"Okay Sage, you're really pissing me the hell off!" Rekino screamed.  
  
Thunder kept his eyes on Sage, "Leave her alone. She did nothing to you!"  
  
Ryo ran over to Rekino, "I thought I told you to protect him! Rekino, you always find some way to screw something up!"  
  
Rekino turned her eyes to her brother, momentarily forgetting about Sage and Hana, "Ahst, listen, don't make me shove my sword up your ass! For your information, I had to save the stuck up princess from getting killed! It was either her die or let me have a guilty conscious for the rest of my life! So don't come over here and get an attitude with me!"  
  
"Hello!" Hana screamed, "I need a little help over here!" Her mind didn't want to acknowledge the fact that Sage had turned evil, "Oh Sage, I'm sorry," She bent her knee up and kicked Sage in his armored groin. It didn't hurt him much, but his grip on her loosened and she moved out from under the sword. She turned around to run, but she wasn't fast enough.  
  
Sage smiled and stood up, "I don't think so. If I can't have you, then no one will!" He gripped his sword and leapt forward, shoving it through Hana's stomach.  
  
  



	11. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer: If we owned the Ronins, this would be a movie by now.  
  
Unexpected Consequences   
  
Chapter 11.  
  
  
**Everyone's eyes widened with horror, shock, and anger. The air grew very silent around them. Rekino's eyes were flashing; she was ready to kill Sage. Ryo and Rowen had heard the scream from outside, and they left Flash, Shades, and Scorpio and headed back into the castle. Their eyes widened at what they saw.  But there was one who screamed out for Hana.  
  
Thunder had watched in horror as Sage had thrust his sword into Hana. All at once, the memories and the feelings he had been dealing with unleashed their full fury. He let out a violent scream that made immediately made his parents and the soldiers look at him in shock. Ryo and Rowen had tackled Sage to the floor; Rekino was trying to help Hana. The girl was in shock and breathing heavily. Queen Alina was laughing insanely. This is what she and her husband had wanted. But then, the scream of the German prince caught her attention.  
  
Thunder was glowing a brilliant red, his symbol flashed brightly on his head. His German shepherd, Disani, whined and backed away from him. He cried out… "HANA!!!" At once he was engulfed in the light, unable to be seen. Lightning flashed around, making everyone shield his or her eyes. And then the light suddenly vanished, and a red panther with light blue eyes was suddenly standing where Thunder had stood before.  
  
Everyone's mouths dropped. Rekino swore, Queen Lila fainted into her husband's arms, King Thaitus' eyes were so widened, they looked as if they would come right out of their sockets, and there were screams of fear.  
  
"The prince! He's…he's… transformed!" a soldier cried out.  
  
Rekino looked toward the panther now, as she continued to help Hana. She knew Hana's armor would heal her in time, but she didn't want Hana to go into shock. Blood poured out of Hana's wound, and she tried her best to keep the flow of blood back, while studying the panther at the same time. Her eyes widened in shock. The panther had the same color eyes Thunder did. It was him.  
  
"Rekino, it hurts so much," Hana said quietly.  
  
"Shh, don't talk! Save your strength!" Rekino said, looking back at her.  
  
Hana became silent, but the tears flowed down her cheeks. She was crying, not only for the pain she was enduring, but also for Sage. What had happened to him?  
  
Sage was struggling to get free from Rowen and Ryo, cursing at the top of his lungs. The two Ronins held onto him tightly. He thrashed and kicked, nearly knocking them off, but they continued to hold him tightly. Finally he let out a scream and threw them both off, sending them flying back where they both hit a column pillar each and slumped to the floor.  
  
"Ryo!" Rekino screamed.  
  
Sage stood up just then and was about to approach the Lady Wildfire who was still covering Hana. And then suddenly, Thunder in his panther form, leapt through the air and tackled him down. Sage struggled violently to get the heavy animal off him, but Thunder kept him pinned to the floor. With one strike of his paw to his head, he knocked Sage's helmet off, then struck again at his head, this time knocking Sage out.  
  
Queen Alina was seething. She would not let anyone ruin her husband's plans. She raised her staff toward Thunder. Rekino saw it immediately and cried out, "Thunder, watch out!"  
  
Thunder saw the attack in time and back flipped out of the way. He landed on the ground and quickly turned, crouching, tail twitching, his eyes gleaming with a predatory look at the queen of Rome.   
  
  
  
Outside, Flash continued to destroy soldiers using her pyrokinesis. She was separated from Shades and Scorpio, how that happened no one knew, but they would rejoin together later. An arrow flew toward her heart and she quickly dodged it, and set the responsible soldier's feet on fire, and then suddenly engulfed him in flames. His screams were heard until he had died. She moved on, sending her power where she could. She really hated to kill people, but she had no choice. It was either kill or be killed in this situation.  
  
Flash suddenly saw a tank rolling into the streets. The driver was firing at German civilians who were running for their lives. The machine killed some. Flash increased her powers and sent three fireballs after it, destroying it. She felt someone shooting near her and quickly turned and sent an inferno after five Roman soldiers, engulfing him or her. Their screams lasted for only several minutes before they were silenced.  
  
And then the wind picked up, and the sound of a machine gun was heard overhead. She looked up. An army fighter pilot was in the air, circling the area and firing at anyone not of Roman blood. She increased her powers once again, and then with a jerk of her head, the plane suddenly exploded in mid-air.  
  
Flash turned away from the plane. The moment she did she felt a fiery pain enter through her back. She let out a pain filled scream, and tried to desperately grab for the arrow that had struck in the middle of her back.  
  
On opposite sides of the city, both Shades and Scorpio had heard their leader scream out in pain. Shades was on the west side of the city, several soldiers were on the ground, crawling around as if they were babies. She kicked another soldier out of her way and suddenly ran in the direction of Flash, knocking down soldiers as she did so.  
  
Scorpio was on the east side, fighting as hard as he could. He knocked three soldiers into a building with his weapon, and ducked from a fierce blow, and then used his spear staff to gut into the soldier behind him. The soldier fell down, and Scorpio ran for it, heading for Flash.  
  
Suddenly, everything stopped. The Roman army all backed away, holding their weapons down. With the blink of an eye, they were all gone. Flash, Scorpio, and Shades all looked around, confusion written all over their faces.  
  
"What happened?" Scorpio asked.  
  
"I guess they chickened out! If I were them, I would've left too!" Shades said.  
  
Flash looked at her friend, "Don't get too cocky. They may have been asked to come back. Besides, the ones in the castle are still there," She nodded back towards the castle, "Hey Shades, get that arrow out, will ya. It hurts just a little bit."  
  
"Uh…sure," Shades put one of her hands on Flash's shoulder and the other on the arrow. She drew in a deep breath and pulled it out.  
  
Flash bit her lip to keep from screaming, "Thanks. Now, let's go back to the castle," Flash leaned on her friends for a little support. The three warriors took off and went inside to find Queen Alina fighting some kind of panther and Sage staggering to get up. They noticed that Hana, who had been stabbed, and Rekino. Ryo and Rowen had been knocked out from the throw, "What's going on?" Flash asked. Before anyone could answer, Alina and Sage disappeared from sight, "Not again."  
  
Rekino threw her arms up, which were covered in blood, "Well damn, there goes the neighborhood!"   
  
"Please Rekino, don't make me laugh," Hana moaned. Her armor was helping her, but it wasn't fast enough. Blood continued to pour from her wound. It seemed endless.  
  
Rekino frowned deeply and stared at her friend's wound. Never before had she thought this would ever happen. Tears flowed down her cheeks and she didn't bother to wipe them away.  
  
"Rekino," Hana said softly. "Don't cry."  
  
Flash frowned as well, looking toward her friends. She saw Shades and Scorpio taking care of Rowen and Ryo, and then there was the panther. Where had it come from? And where was Thunder?  
  
Then suddenly, the panther was surrounded by a red glow. Her eyes widened as the light engulfed the panther. When it faded, there was Thunder, standing up shakily, a hand to his head.  
  
Thaitus shouted. "Son!"  
  
The queen came to, groaning softly. "What happened? Where's our son?"  
  
Thunder looked toward her over his shoulder. "I'm right here, mother." He said nothing more, but approached Hana instead. By now, Hana was having an extremely difficult time healing herself. It was if the powers of Halo left her.  
  
"Rekino…Halo…they're not working!" Hana moaned in pain.  
  
Rekino bit her lip. She had a feeling she knew why they weren't working. Flash was getting angrier by the minute, but she forced herself to remain calm. Thunder reached Hana, and frowned at her, his emotions still washing over him.  
  
"Rekino, please?" he asked quietly.   
  
Rekino knew what he was going to do, and she nodded. She let go of Hana and stepped back, watching him kneel down to her.  
  
"Thunder!" Thaitus shouted. "What are you doing?! Don't touch her! We'll call for help!"  
  
Thunder ignored his father's commands. Instead, he laid his hands upon Hana's stomach and closed his eyes. A glow surrounded him, and his symbol appeared in his forehead. The light transferred to Hana, and her wound began to heal from the inside out.  
  
Queen Lila gasped as she saw everything. Her son had healing powers?! And then she suddenly began to remember. It had been a week before they had to give their son up to protect him. She had been sewing his tiny little pants, which had gotten a hole in them somehow. Normally she would have had servants to do it, but she wanted to do it herself. She ended up jabbing her finger with the needle, making it bleed. Thunder who was so small, everyone had to tiptoe around the castle to avoid stepping on him, had looked up from his spot on the floor. He had been playing with a bright ball, and he saw his mother nursing her wounded finger. And he had healed her with just a touch. Her thoughts came back to the present. The girl Thunder had healed stood up with the help of the two other girls, the long dark haired one, and the brown haired girl.  
  
King Thaitus was watching in shock, not knowing what to say. He was angry though, that the damned Romans had ruined everything. But yet there was still hope. He could have servants clean the mess up, and start the ball up again…  
  
"Hana, are you okay?" Flash asked in concerned.  
  
Hana shook her head. "No, we need to get Sage."  
  
Rekino nodded as Thunder stared at Hana for a few moments, before going over to Ryo and Rowen and healing them.  
  
Scorpio frowned. "Why did she take Sage with her?"  
  
"I'm thinking she cast a spell on Sage," Hana explained. "He wasn't acting like himself.  
  
Rowen and Ryo soon came over to them, and were relieved to see Hana was all right, but in dismay that their comrade was missing.   
  
"You know what this means," Flash said.  
  
"We go after him," Ryo said.  
  
Just then, Commander of the king's army marched in, obviously shocked at how the Romans had fled. He headed for the king and queen, but got a good look at the true heroes of the kingdom. These had to be the prince's friends. Yes, there was the brown haired girl that had been seeing running after the limo when they had first picked him up. She was speaking to the others about something, about a rescue mission. He let out a sigh and approached the king.  
  
"My liege, all of the Roman soldiers have fled the city. There are numerous damages and many deaths, totaling at least two hundred German civilians."  
  
The king frowned. "Send out a cleanup crew to get the cost of damages so we can start rebuilding.  I have to fix the event I lost tonight."  
  
Immediately Harry knew he was speaking of the ball. "Sir, I don't think now is a good time to host the ball. There have been major damages here, and that's all you can think of!"  
  
The king glared at him. "Do you dare question my order?!"  
  
"Yes, as a matter fact I do! Well, you were worried about the damn ball of yours; those children over there saved us! No one else could! Our young and most experienced soldiers were brutally slaughtered, and you did nothing, but give out orders to protect the castle, while worrying about this event and for Prince Thunder's arranged marriage!"  
  
Ryo, Rowen, Rekino, Hana, Shades, Flash, Scorpio, and Thunder all looked toward them now, overhearing the entire thing. Disani came to stand beside Thunder's left side, also watching. He cocked his head.  
  
The king was shocked, and the queen was frowning. Never before had the commander been so vulgar to them. At first he didn't know what to say, and then finally he did. "That is my concern, and my concern alone."  
  
"You're right," Harry agreed with a shake of his head. "It is your concern, because I now quit!" And with that he took of his commander slash and dropped it on the floor, and walked out of the room.  
  
Rekino was tempted to start clapping right there, until Ryo grabbed her by the shoulder and hissed in her ear. "Don't you dare!"  
  
Rekino gave him her best evil eye, but this time it didn't work. She sighed and muttered in Japanese. Ryo heard her though. He would get back at her later for that.  
  
Thaitus sighed. "Just great."  
  
"Dear, perhaps he was…"  
  
"No! I am the king! What I say goes!" Thaitus said firmly. Lila frowned deeply and lowered her head. Then Thaitus looked toward Thunder.  
  
"So we're going after Sage now, right?" Rowen asked.  
  
Ryo nodded. "Yes, we…" Cye speaking to his mind suddenly interrupted him. _'Yeah, Cye, what is it?'  
  
'Ryo, what's going on over there? Amaya's been flipping out. Both of us are feeling the disturbance there.'  
  
'Sage was captured by some type of sorceress, Cye. We're going to rescue him. How's Mia and Hiroshi?'  
  
'They're fine, but we're all worried. The nurses just had to give Amaya a sedative to calm her. She started freaking out a moment ago, which nearly made me panic.'  
  
_Ryo frowned deeply. '_When she wakes up, tell her we're going to save Sage, and we'll beat this new evil! You can count on it.'  
'I will, Ryo. You guys just be careful.'  
  
'We will, Cye._'  
  
Ryo sighed as the connection was broken. "That was Cye," he explained. "Anyway, let's go and rescue Sage."  
  
"Thunder!" Thaitus called.   
  
Thunder cringed and looked toward him. The king wanted him to come over, but he wanted to go with the others to save Sage. He looked back and forth between them, frowning deeply.  
  
Shades mentally rolled her eyes. If she were Thunder she would have flipped the king off and walked off. Flash gave her tall friend a pity look. She knew this was difficult on him, but he had to make his own choice. Scorpio was watching him sadly, feeling bad for him.  
  
Rekino was about to tell the king off when Thunder lowered his head more.  
  
"I'm sorry," he told them, "I want to come with you…but…but I can't…"  
  
Hana frowned. "We understand, Thunder," she said softly.  
  
"Well, I don't," Rekino said crossing her arms.  
  
Ryo shook his head. "This isn't the time, sis."  
  
"Let's make time!" Rekino declared.  
  
Thunder frowned at her. "Rekino, please," he said, his eyes quivering. (Oh yeah, for those who don't know this. Thunder actually only has just his right eye showing, the other eye is hidden by his hair. And yes there's a reason for it, which will be explained later in the fic!)  
  
Rekino stared at him, and sighed. She hated it when this happened. She nodded. "Alright, fine. I can respect your desire to obey your…. father even if I don't understand."  
  
Thunder nodded unable to smile a thanks. He looked at Hana for a moment, staring into her eyes, and then turned and slowly walked toward his parents, unwillingly.  
  
Hana watched him. Why had he been staring at her like that? There was no time to ponder over it. Ryo suddenly gave the order to move out, and the eight of them, headed out of the castle, each one taking one last glance at Thunder.  
  
  
  
Back at the castle of Rome, Borya sat on his throne. His wife Alina sat next to him, and Sage stood to the right of his throne, stiff and staring straight ahead, still under the spell he had been put under. At the present moment, Borya wasn't really too happy. Everything had been going well, until those mysterious teenagers had shown up and ruined everything, including his enemy's son! No, he was not planning to back down. He would make the Germans suffer and would take over their kingdom, destroying every German there was, and he would destroy those teenagers that stood in his way.  
  
Alina looked toward him. "My lord, I grow bored waiting to strike again."  
  
Borya was about to answer her, when he saw a vision again. In it, the same teenagers he had seen in armor were coming to his castle. A wicked grin spread across his face. "You may soon get your chance to exonerate yourself of your boredom, my dear."  
  
Alina stared at him, wondering what he was planning, but then she smiled evilly and nodded. Whatever it was, it would most definitely be good.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, the two Ronins, the two lady Guardians, and the three Warriors had all reached their destination, but they went under ground, through the sewers. They would come up inside the castle itself.  
  
"EW!" Hana said, disgusted. "I swear when we rescue Sage, and he's back to his normal self, he better thank me, for ruining my hair in this stuff!"  
  
"It can always be washed," Shades said with a shrug.  
  
"Let's keep going," Ryo said. "I think we're almost there."  
  
They continued on, creeping through the sewers. They were completely silent, listening for any signs of danger. So far nothing had come. Finally they reached a ladder. Flash was the first to climb up it. She got halfway up, when they suddenly heard a man speaking in their Romanic language. She began to think and then an idea she had seen from a movie with her younger siblings popped in her head. "Meow," she said, imitating a perfect cat.  
  
Ryo frowned. What was she doing? His eyes widened as Flash meowed again.. Suddenly someone from above shouted curses at Flash, or at the cat they thought they were hearing. Flash smirked and just meowed more. And then the cover of the hole opened up. Flash suddenly reached up and grabbed the man by his shirt and tossed him over her shoulder. "Look out below!"  
  
Everyone scattered as the heavy man fell to the ground. They watched him carefully. When he didn't get up, they immediately followed Flash out of the sewer, and found themselves in one of the Roman castle's dark hallways. Immediately Roman soldiers, holding weapons against them, surrounded them.  
  
"Surrender!" the one who seemed to be in charged ordered.  
  
"Surrender?!" Ryo said. "Not on your life!"  
  
"Let's kick their asses!" Shades shouted.  
  
"You will surrender or be killed in the name of the king!" another soldier shouted.  
  
"Surrender this!" Rekino shouted back as she suddenly punched the soldier hard in the face. The impact from her fist knocked him out.  
  
"Damn Rekino," Rowen said, his eyes widening.  
  
Rekino ignored Rowen.  
  
The soldiers attacked just then. Ryo ducked and side kicked a soldier out of his way. He threw another over his shoulder and punched another down the hall. Rowen did his famous flying kick and slammed against a soldier, knocking him down, he then flipped into the air, and gave a front snap kick to another soldier knocking him back. Shades ducked down, allowing two soldiers to run into each other. Both fell, wounded. She got up and did a somersault kick to another, knocking him down, and then punched one that had been sneaking behind her.  
  
Hana punched two soldiers out of her way, did a double back flip, kicked a soldier into the ceiling, and gave an elbow smash to another. Rekino took two soldiers suddenly and cracked them against each other, then tossed them in opposite directions. She leapt to avoid a spear, and suddenly did a round house kick to the owner, sending him crashing into the wall.  
  
Scorpio grabbed one soldier and threw him over his shoulder, punched another shoulder, ducked down to avoid getting hit with an arrow, and then gave an upper cut to the soldier's chin, knocking him backward. A soldier came at him from the side, and a quick left hook took care of him. Flash was eying her opponents. All three had her surrounded, weapons pointed at her. She was not worried. Actually she was worried, but not of them. The wound in her back was killing her now and it was bleeding. She had ignored it as long as she could, but the pain was increasing. She had no choice. She had to fight. She suddenly did a roundhouse kick, kicking one of them down the hall, then quickly avoided a shaved head, and threw another over her shoulder. She punched the last one into the opposite wall, knocking him out.  
  
The battle continued relentlessly as more and more soldiers appeared out of nowhere. They continued to fight, and then eventually they resorted to their surekills, having no choice. After what seemed like an eternity, the soldiers were finally gone.  
  
Flash collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily.  
  
"Flash!" Shades cried in alarm, as she hurried to her friend.  
  
Rekino frowned and immediately headed over to them, with the others right behind her. Flash was sweating profusely, and the back of her shirt was covered in blood.  
  
"Oh god," Hana whispered.   
  
  
  
After everyone had left, Thunder got yelled at by his father; furthermore, Thunder tried to defend himself. He wanted so badly to go and help his friends, but his father wouldn't let him. There was nothing he could do except stand there and listen to his father's mouth going on and on and on. To add to it, the Italian royals had to watch.  
  
"Well, what do you have to say for yourself, son?" Thaitus asked.  
  
"I've already told you, father! They…" Thunder stopped. Thaitus and Lila looked at him strangely and wondered what he was doing. Then, they saw it. A symbol of a thunderbolt appeared on his forehead, "Mom, dad, get behind me," Thunder looked towards Bianca and her family, "Same goes for you three."  
  
Lila frowned, "Son, what is it?"  
  
Thunder closed his eyes, "The Romans…they're coming back…"  
  
"WHAT?!" Thaitus shouted. He turned his head towards a noise and saw a Roman soldier coming in through the wall followed by many more, "Guards!"  
  
A wicked laughter got the royals attention. They all looked towards the entrance and saw the Roman king, "How lovely. The prince gallantly tries to save his family. How noble of you."  
  
"King Borya, what's the meaning of this?!" Thaitus demanded.  
  
Borya smirked, "As you know, Thaitus, this war has gone on long enough and it's time to end it. There are no more of your soldiers. So, you might as well give up and surrender your kingdom to me."  
  
Thunder held up his nodatchi, "You'll have to get through me to get to them, Borya. I won't let you touch my family!" Thunder charged at him, taking the upper hand.  
  
Borya drew his sword and blocked against Thunder's attack. He motioned towards his soldier not to do anything unless needed, "Your are a cunning one, young prince, but getting through you will be easy."  
  
Thunder smirked, "We'll see about that!" He back flipped and went towards Borya again. The clashing sounds of the metal caused sparks to fly. The battle went on for minutes. Borya just kept defending while Thunder kept charging, "Why won't you fight back?"  
  
Borya laughed, "It's not my job to fight you, prince."  
  
"What?" Thunder asked. Before he could make another move, a familiar voice caught his attention.  
  
"Thunder Bolt Cut!"  
  
Thunder didn't have time to block that attack. He was sent crashing into the wall with a great force. His mind was wondering. How come he couldn't absorb that attack? _'Oh yeah, it's dark magic_.' Thunder thought to himself. He stood and looked around, "Sage! Come out!" He felt a presence behind him and he did a front flip just in time to miss getting hit by Sage's no datchi.  
  
"Hey Thunder," Sage said evilly, "How've you been? Or better yet, how's Hana?"  
  
Thunder spat at him, "She's fine."  
  
"Glad to hear it," Sage said. He readied his weapon and charged at Thunder.  
  
The Storm warrior held up his weapon and tried to block the attack, but Sage disappeared before he could do anything. He looked around quizzically and heard a scream. It was Bianca. He turned around and saw Sage holding his no datchi to Bianca's throat.  
  
"Now, you have two choices Thunder. One, you keep fighting and the little princess dies," Sage pressed the no datchi harder against the Italian princess's neck, "Or two, you surrender and let her and her family and your family live. You have five seconds. What's it gonna be?" He looked evilly at Thunder, "One…"  
  
Thunder frowned. He was about to tell Sage to go ahead and kill her, he didn't care, but then again, his father would murder him if that happened.  
  
"Two…"  
  
Damien, Thaitus, Lila, and Annelise kept staring back at Thunder and Sage. One of them was going to do something, and they hoped it was Thunder making the right decision. Borya was on the other side of the room, looking quite entertained.  
  
"Three…"  
  
"Thunder!" Annelise screamed, "You can't let her die! She's my baby and I don't want her taken away from me! Do something!"  
  
"Four…"  
  
Borya was laughing uncontrollably now, "We're down to the last, thrilling second. What will the prince do? Let the princess die or surrender?"  
  
"Five!" Sage screamed, "Time's up, pretty boy! The princess dies!"  
  
"NOOO!" Annelise struggled under her husbands grip.  
  
"Wait!" Thunder shouted. Everything stopped and they all looked at him. He clinched his fists at his side and slowly dropped his sword. "I surrender."  
  
Sage smiled triumphantly, "Good," He pushed Bianca back to her parents, "Soldiers, restrain them!"  
  
In a matter of minutes, the Roman soldiers had the royal families restrained. Sage took it upon himself to help the others with Thunder, all the while, shooting dirty looks at one another, "Oh, did I piss the prince off?"  
  
Thunder gave Sage the worst glare he could've ever given anyone, "I'll get you. Next time it'll be different."  
  
Sage just laughed and tied the ropes harder.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer: POP GOES THE WEASEL!  
  
Unexpected Consequences   
  
Chapter 12.  
  
  
  
**"Oh God…what happened to her?!" Rekino shouted.  
  
Shades looked at Rekino, "While we were fighting in Germany, she got hit with an arrow. She never did ask for it to be healed."  
  
Hana looked at Flash with concern in her eyes, "I can't heal her! Since Sage has been put under a dark spell, my healing powers aren't even working right!"  
  
"What about your non-armor magic?" Rowen asked.  
  
"Okay, o smart one, what do you think? 'Halo's Light' is connected with the armor. Figure it out," Hana spat.  
  
Rowen blushed, "You don't have to be so harsh."  
  
"Wait," Scorpio interrupted, "I know someone who can help?"  
  
"And that might be?" Ryo asked.  
  
"BLAZE! WE NEED YOUR HELP!" Scorpio shouted. A white light engulfed the room and, as soon as it faded, Blaze was standing there.  
  
'_Yes, what is it that you need?'_  
  
"Flash has been hurt! Can you please heal her?" Rekino asked.  
  
_'Yes…I will.'_ Blaze made his way over to Flash. When he got there, he touched the crystal around his neck to her forehead. She started to glow and in a matter of seconds, she was healed.  
  
"Thanks, Blaze!" Flash said as she stood up. Blaze nodded and simply disappeared.   
  
"Hey, where'd he go?!" Ryo exclaimed.   
  
"Back where he came from," Flash said. "Now let's go!"  
  
"Yeah! Let's rescue Sage and kick this evil's ass!" Rekino said.   
  
The seven of them ran down the hall, ready to fight once again.   
  
  
  
Sage finished tying Thunder up tightly, and stepped away from him, admiring his work. King Borya had taken King Thaitus' throne and was working through his next plans. Sage came to stand at his side.  
  
"Dear, what do we do?" Lila whispered to her husband. She was extremely fearful, and had no idea what would happen to them or to their son. Would they die? Would they suffer terribly? Would they become slaves?   
  
"I don't know, my dear," he replied. He was worried himself. His soldiers were gone, and no one was left to defend them. What were they to do?  
  
"Daddy, I'm scared!" Bianca cried.   
  
"I know, dear, so am I," Damien replied. He tried to get loose, but the ropes were just too tight. His wife was so scared; she had refused to say a word.  
  
Thunder was trying to think of a way to get out of these ropes without endangering anyone's life. So far nothing was coming to his mind. Outside they could hear the screams of terror as the Romans killed the German citizens. '_I've got to do something_,' he thought. '_But what_?'  
  
Nearby and behind him, carefully hidden from view, Disani was crawling toward Thunder as stealthily as he could. Every few seconds he would stop and make it look as if he was sleeping, and then he'd start toward Thunder again. When he finally reached him, he began to bite through the ropes.  
  
Thunder blinked and glanced behind him, and held back a sigh of relief. He faced forward, hoping no one would see Disani cutting through his ropes. The dog continued to bite and gnaw through. Piece by piece of the rope was slowly coming apart. Thunder could feel his hands loosening. Just a bit more…finally, he was free!  
  
"Good work, Disani," he said in a very low voice to the dog. "Set the others free now."  
  
The dog crawled away from him and began to work on the queen's rope.  Lila kept silent, allowing the dog to work. She could only hope the dog wasn't caught before he could free all of them.  
  
  
  
A mile outside of the city, Blaze appeared on the highest peak of a mountain. The wind blew softly; his crystal sparkled under his fur. He raised his head, and suddenly howled, and howled, and continued howling, one long loud howl. And suddenly there was a reply. A wolf about several blocks away howled back. And another howled, and another. Soon the area was filled with numerous wolf howls.  
  
  
  
The two Ronins, the two Lady Ronin Guardians, and the three Warriors kept on running through the halls. Shades complained about them never getting there, Ryo wanted the halls to end, Hana wanted to get Sage back on their side. It was a complicated process on their part. They had no idea what was lurking behind certain corners or in dark places.  
  
They rounded another corner and continued running down that way, then they ran up a flight of stairs, entered another hallway, ran down that one, rounded the corner, and bumped into a myriad of Roman soldiers.  
  
"Just fucking terrific!" Rekino spat in anger, "I'm this close to going Inferno!"  
  
"How though?" Hana asked.  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
"Let's not worry and just fight!" Shades shouted. She threw the first punch, then suddenly lifted a soldier sideways over her head and threw him hard against the wall. Parts of the wall broke down.  
  
"Damn, Shades!" Ryo said.  
  
"Did I mention Shades is strong?" Flash said as she kicked a soldier down the hall.  
  
"You neglected that part," Rekino said as she punched another soldier, and then threw another one over her head.   
  
"Well, now you know!" Flash said, suddenly doing a roundhouse kick.  
  
Ryo leaped high into the air and kicked at two soldiers at the same time. He landed gracefully on his feet, and swung a soldier over his shoulder, and suddenly gave one behind him a hard blow from his elbow.  Rowen did a sudden side split leap kick, sending two soldiers crashing into opposite walls. He landed on the floor and punched another soldier away from him. The soldiers weren't giving up though. They shot arrows and their guns at them. Most of them were subarmor, or armor, but Flash was unprotected.   
  
"Flash! Look out!" Hana warned her, as an arrow bounced off her.   
  
Flash heard the firing. She dodged as best as she could, but came close to getting hit.  
  
"That does it!" Ryo declared. He brought his swords together. "Flare Up Now!" The attack engulfed the soldiers, obliterating them.  
  
"Way to go, bro!" Rekino cheered.  
  
"That was an awesome attack," Scorpio said.  
  
"Yeah, you blasted them away!" Shades said with a grin.  
  
"Let's hurry!" Ryo said. "Before anything else happens!"  
  
And they ran down the hall, getting closer and closer to their destination.   
  
  
  
Disani had managed to free everyone, but they stayed where they were, almost too afraid to move. Thunder was trying to work out a plan on getting them out of there, but how? Guards surrounded the place. How would he protect them all? Sure he had his armor, but he was just one person. There had to be something he could do. He glanced at Disani. The dog was waiting for his next commands. The only thing he could think of was sneaking them out as quickly as he could. How could he do that without getting caught though? He had to take the chance.  
  
"You might as well not try it, young prince," Borya said suddenly, causing Thunder to look toward him with surprise. The king of Rome smirked. "I can read minds," he said. He snapped his fingers and suddenly the two royal families were tied again. Disani growled. "Hush, puppy!"   
  
Disani snorted at him and growled more.  
  
"Master, allow me to take care of the animal," Sage begged.  
  
"As you wish, young fighter," the king laughed evilly. Sage grinned and walked toward the dog. Disani faced him off, crouched low, ready to attack at a moment's notice.  
  
Thunder suddenly smirked, and Sage glared at him. "What are you smirking for?"  
  
"You'll soon find out," Thunder promised him.  
  
"Humph!" Sage said and turned back to the dog. He took his sword and charged at the dog. Disani saw him coming and suddenly ducked down from the blow of the sword as it came over his head, and he suddenly grabbed onto Sage's vulnerable parts.   
  
The two queens gasped, Bianca dropped her mouth open, the two kings stared in surprised, and Thunder's eyes widen. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that."  
  
Sage's eyes were widened and sweat poured down his face. "Get off you mutt, or I'll chop your head off!"  
  
Disani's reply was a low growl and a tug, making Sage drop his sword with a whimper.  
  
Borya looked toward them. He raised his hands toward Disani. Thunder saw it and was about to shout at him, when suddenly Borya turned one hand toward him and waved it at him. A gag appeared over Thunder's mouth, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not get it off. Borya turned back to the dog and suddenly blasted him across the room. The dog gave a loud yelp before hitting the floor. He was still.  
  
Thunder's eyes widened with horror, and he screamed through his gag, struggling violently to get free, but the ropes held fast, and he was stuck there, completely helpless.  
  
  
  
Outside, Blaze was heading toward the city; behind him was numerous wolves of all kinds, colors and sizes. From Artic wolves, to Timber wolves, Mexican wolves, Tundra Wolves, Gray wolves, and many more. There were white wolves, gray colored wolves, brown wolves, wolves of many colors, such as black, brown, gray, brown, white, and even more. The wolves had one goal in mind.  
  
They crossed over the valleys, mountains, and rivers. They passed through forests, and into the city, walking through the streets. People saw them and fled in terror. Never before had they seen so many wolves in one place. There must have been at least six hundred of them.   
  
The wolves walked through the streets of Germany. Just a few feet ahead of them, were a hundred soldiers. Blaze gave orders in the wolf language for the wolves to split into groups, two hundred to each part of the city. The wolves separated and joined groups, and went off as instructed. They knew what to do.   
  
"Die, all Germans!" a Roman soldier shouted, shoot at a German man. Screams filled the air as people tried to run.

And then suddenly they heard fierce growling. The Roman soldier turned around and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. He and his men were sounded by at least a hundred snarling wolves, with the pack leader being larger than a Siberian tiger.  
  
  
  
Josephine, Kento, Amaya, and Cye walked into the house. Mia had to stay at the hospital for another day due to the baby's condition. Nothing bad had happened to little Hiroshi; he was just running a small fever. Josephine sat down on the couch and let out a huge sigh, it was good to be home. Kento headed straight for the kitchen with Cye and Amaya right behind him.  
  
"C'mon guys! I'm hungry!" Kento wined, "It's been forever since I had some good food!!"  
  
Josephine growled, "Geez Kento, it's not a shocker that you're hungry, but lay off Cye and 'Mya. They just got home too. You've got two hands, fix yourself something!"  
  
"It's quite alright," Amaya said softly, "I don't mind fixing him something to eat," She felt Kento's arms around her waist, "Yes?"  
  
"I love you, my little French tartlet," The Hardrock Warrior said, nuzzling his girlfriend's neck.  
  
Cye gagged, "Gross."  
  
Josephine raised her hand, "I second that motion, literally," With warp speed she bolted into the bathroom and started to spill her guts.  
  
Outside, they all heard Josephine's hurling noises. They all looked at one another with worry and concern. When it stopped, they decided to go and check on her. The two Ronin Warriors and the single Lady Guardian walked towards the bathroom and opened the door to see Josephine with her head on the side of the commode.  
  
"Oh toilet bowl, you're my only friend," Josephine got out, "You're so cool on the side…"  
  
  
  
Back in Rome, the three Ronin Warriors, two Lady Guardians, and three Warriors kept running down the endless stretch of halls. They had come across several more blockades of Roman solider and had swept through them easily. Each time they got towards the door, more soldiers appeared, each batch stronger then the previous ones. They were heading down, they prayed, the last hall. They stopped upon reaching the door.  
  
"Okay, coast is clear," Hana said, "No jackasses spotted yet."  
  
Rekino cleared her throat, "Don't get your hopes up just yet. There's still this door."  
  
"Which you won't be going through, troublesome teenagers!" A voice boomed. Alina appeared in front of them, blocking the door.  
  
Flash cupped her hands over her mouth and spoke like she was over an intercom, "Attention K-mart shoppers: slut alert on aisle three, I repeat, slut alert on aisle three."  
  
Alina growled, "Shut up, stupid commoner."  
  
Flash stuck out her tongue, "Make me!"  
  
"Child!"  
  
"Slut!"  
  
"Baby!"  
  
"Whore!"  
  
Ryo looked back and forth between Flash and Alina. He leaned towards Rekino and whispered, "And to think I thought we were bad."  
  
Rekino's eyes were wide, "Yeah."  
  
Shades beamed, "That's our Flash!"  
  
Hana watched as Alina and Flash called one another names. It was going back and forth. What was up with this? Rowen's eyebrow was raised as he watched the teenage girl and the adult woman come back at one another. She heard Flash called Alina and 'French Whore'.  
  
_Oh boy, if Amaya heard that she would be pissed!_ Rowen thought to himself.  
  
Scorpio was watching with amusement. He couldn't help but snicker at the look on Alina's face when Flash used a line of words that either meant 'slut' or 'whore'. _Yeah, where's a camcorder when you need one?_ Scorpio thought.  
  
Rekino's eyes just followed from her friend to the Roman queen. Okay, this was getting rather interesting and amusing, but didn't they come here to fight? "Okay! Flash, you go in that corner and Queen Bitch, you go in that one. I want you two to stay there until y'all have thought about what y'all have done."  
  
Alina's concentration moved towards Rekino. Her eyes turned darker, "Treating me like a child? I think you are the one who deserves a TIME OUT!" She waved her staff and sent the Lady of Wildfire flying into the castle wall. Everyone watched as Rekino went through one wall, and another, and another, and another. She kept flying until she went through, at least, ten walls. All eyes looked through the Rekino sized hole and saw that her helmet had fallen off and her head was bleeding. She was completely limp, "Now for the finishing touch," With a flick of her wrist, Alina sent the roof crashing down on top of Rekino.  
  
"Ahh!" Hana screamed.  
  
"Rekino!" Flash yelled.  
  
"Oh…" Shades started.  
  
"My…" Scorpio interrupted.  
  
"God…" Rowen finished the sentence.  
  
Ryo's fists were clinched at his side. He looked at the ruble again to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He held back his tears. He turned towards Alina, "You'll pay…" He whispered softly. With revenge in his heart, he quickly drew out his katanas and dove right for Alina. She moved fast, but now fast enough. Ryo sliced and cut her cheek. He landed and took the initiative and went at her again. Only this time, Alina blocked his attack with her staff. Ryo growled, "You'll pay for hurting my sister."  
  
Alina smirked, "Oh, so that was your sister? Well then, you're about to join her!" Alina flew back and raised her staff towards Ryo.  
  
"Not today lady!" Rowen jumped in the air and loaded his bow, "Arrow Shock Wave!" He arrow went whizzing at Alina and hit her directly. When the dust cleared, she was surrounded by a forcefield. Rowen landed softly, "What?"  
  
Alina yawned, "My turn yet?" She flew up into the air and arched forwards. Wings sprouted from her shoulder blades. Her face morphed into something like a bird. She flew higher into the air, with her staff at her right side, "Prepare to meet your doom!"  
  


Shades snorted, "I've heard that line too many times."  
  
"Well, this time will be your last!" Alina screamed.  
  
Flash yawned, "Heard that one too. Got anything else?"  
  
Alina growled softly. She raised her staff above her head and bent her head backwards. Her wings extended to their full length and she raised her head, opening her eyes, and placed the staff in the middle of her body. A whirlpool of darkness was behind her, "Darkness Typhoon!" The wave shot out to the six teenagers and rendered them helpless.  
  
Rowen struggled to get up, "Guys…I can't see!"  
  
"No shit Sherlock!" Shades yelled back at him.  
  
Hana started to panic, "Oh God! We're all gonna die!"  
  
"Stop being pessimistic!"   
  
Alina lowered onto the ground, in front of the ruble. She smiled evilly, "Time to finish this!" She started to chant in ancient Roman language. Before she finished, the ground shook for a split second. She thought nothing of it and continued until the ground shook again, but with more force. It stopped again, but started two seconds later, "What?"  
  
She turned around and looked behind at the pile of ruble. She saw one rock fall, then, light broke through the cracks of the rocks and they exploded, "You're times up!" A voice boomed -it was Rekino. Alina didn't have enough time to move before a fist connected with her face and sent her flying through the walls on the other side of the room.  
  
"Rekino?" Flash asked to nothingness.  
  
"Yeah," Rekino spat out the blood that was in her mouth. God, she was hurting. It was bad enough she fell through ten or more walls but to top it off, Alina had to send the wall crashing down on top of her. Talk about raining on someone's parade. She was glad that she used the rest of her strength to get out of it. Now, the only problem was how to regain her strength before Alina emerged. She fell to her knees and supported herself with her katanas.  
  
"I'm glad you're okay, sis!" Ryo said.  
  
Rekino turned towards her fellow Guardian, "Hana, don't ask any questions, but use Halo's Light. Y'all have darkness and its opposing force is light. Make the magic neutral!" She looked towards the hole in the wall and saw Alina getting up, "Do it now! I don't have the much strength left to fight!"  
  
"Right!" Hana nodded her head and stood up. She put her hands to her face, "Halo's Light!" A bright light engulfed the whole, but it wasn't fast enough. Everyone opened his or her eyes to see Alina coming out of a new hole in the wall, with her staffed raised high above her head, and flying straight for Rekino.  
  
"Die!" Alina screamed.  
  
"Oh shit!" Rekino lifted up her arms to block herself from the attack, but she heard a clang noise. She looked up and saw Rowen and Hana in front of her blocking Alina's attack. She felt Ryo's arms wrap around her waist, pick her up, and jump away from the battle, "Thanks Bro…"  
  
Ryo smiled and landed next to the others, "Hey Flash, can you heat Rekino up a little bit?"  
  
"Sure," Flash concentrated her powers on Rekino and soon flames surrounded the Lady of Wildfire. Flash and Rekino's symbols were both shining brilliantly, "There ya go, bud-ro!"  
  
"Thanks!" Rekino smiled and stood up. She turned her eyes towards the battlefield to see Hana fighting with Alina while Rowen shot off arrows at the two. She noticed that Rowen had miscalculated one shot and he almost hit Hana.  
  
"Hey Strata, watch where you shoot those damn things! They hurt!" Hana yelled. She was sweating profusely. Her no datchi was against Alina's staff when she noticed something. Half of a green gem was placed on the top of it. She started to become intrigued.  
  
Flash, who was standing next to Rekino and Shades, noticed it also. Her mind started flashing images of the attack at the castle. When Alina showed up, she had the same gem on her staff, but it was different now. She was an aura around it; an elemental aura. It was the same aura that was around Sage before he and Alina had disappeared, "Hana, Rowen, new game plan! Go for the gem!"  
  
  
  
Borya sat on the throne on Germany as he kept watch over the royals of the country and of Italy. Sage, who was at the king's right side, kept on eye on Thunder. Disani still lay on the other side of the room, not moving a muscle. The Halo Warrior was growing rather impatient waiting around and doing nothing. He would much rather be fighting Thunder or the others now than standing here and playing watch dog.  
  
"What troubles you, my young fighter?" Borya asked.  
  
Sage looked at his master, "Nothing."  
  
"Don't worry. If by any chance my queen doesn't destroy your comrades, then I'll let you handle them," Borya smirked and looked down at his hands. As long as Alina had the other half of the gem, Sage would remain under his control. _I just hope Alina's doing what I asked her too. The room she's guarding contains the power source for the country and she. If it's destroyed, then I'll lose my control over them, well, except for Sage that is._


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: Don't own Ronins and Co. Though I wish we did!

                                    Unexpected Consequences

Chapter 13.

Rowen turned his head and saw the gem on top of Alina's staff. He had no idea what it was for, but Flash had said to destroy it. Perhaps they could end this battle before it really started. He drew his bow and cocked an arrow on the nock and drew the arrow back, squinting his eye at his target, and then suddenly he released it. The arrow flew toward the target, striking it dead center, and destroying it. Everyone turned their faces away from the sudden light, and when the light had cleared they all turned to see an enraged Alina there, furious because her precious gem had been destroyed.  
  
Without warning she raised her hand in front of her face and suddenly sent a powerful black flat sphere of dark magic at Rowen. He had no time to dodge it, and his screams were too tormenting to bear. His friends screamed his name as Alina's wicked laugh filled the room. He was sent flying against a wall where he slumped to the floor unconscious and badly injured. His armor had a giant hole in it, and his torso bore a third degree burn.  
  
Rekino's eyes were wide. She could not believe this was happening. She forgot about her anger to Rowen and why she had been angry with him to begin with. Nothing mattered anymore. Her rage began to build up as her armor glowed bright red. This in turn caused Ryo's armor to glow as well. And then Rekino's enraged shout shook the castle walls. "ROWEN!! YOU BITCH YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!!" She was about to call the Lady Inferno when she realized Amaya and Josephine weren't there.  And Ryo couldn't call the Inferno without Cye and Kento. It all seemed so hopeless. But then suddenly, Ryo called his attack on the wicked queen.   
  
"Flare Up Now!" The attack went out and struck the queen, but it did little damage. She sent him flying into a wall where he hit it upside down before landing on his stomach.  
  
"Water Torrent Power!" Scorpio cried as he unleashed his attack next. Unfortunately Alina countered it with an electrical attack and sent it flying back to him, shocking the Warrior to unconsciousness.   
  
Rekino had had enough. She summoned her attack. "Tornado Fire Flare!" It only seemed to singe Alina's hair, which pissed her off even more. She struck at the Lady Ronin, but Rekino dodged it with a backward somersault over her head. She landed on the floor as Alina turned around. This time Rekino tried another attack. She pointed her finger at Alina and concentrated. "Wildfire's Flame!" she cried.  
  
The attack went out, and this time it burned through Alina. The queen cried out in pain, and her eyes seemed to glow red. She summoned an attack against Rekino, sending her into the wall. Hana who tried to use her Halo's Light attack then attacked her. It didn't work however, and she too was sent against the wall.   
  
Shades was seething. There was no way she was going to let this witch win against them. She was about to call her attack when suddenly…  
  
"Shades, desist!"   
  
"What?! Are you crazy, Captain?" Shades was staring at Flash like she had lost her mind. Flash stared back.  
  
"She's too powerful at this point. And everyone, but us, is down. We need to get them out of here."  
  
"You won't be going anywhere!" Alina shouted as she started another attack again.  
  
Flash's eyes narrowed. She had to think of something and fast. They didn't have much time left. The attack was getting bigger and bigger. What if she…yes…it would have to do. She connected with Blaze and told him to send them back to the hotel to recover. In an instant just as the attack was unleashed a bright white light surrounded the Ronins, Lady Guardians, and the Warriors, and they disappeared just as the attack struck at nothing.   
  
The attack cleared, and Alina cursed. "So they've escaped did they? Well, no matter.. It will be only a matter of time when my husband and I rule the German empire and crush all those who oppose us in our fists. Now I think I will see how my husband is doing." And with a flash she disappeared.  
  
  
  
The wolves Blaze had gathered up were attacking the Roman soldiers and the insane animals like crazily. Screams filled the air, gunshots rang out, and yelps were heard. But this did not stop either side. Each side continued to fight on and on. It was one huge, bloody battlefield.   
  
A black wolf tore the arm off one soldier with its bare teeth; a soldier shot a wolf in the head. Two wolves attacked an insane bear, while another wolf was attacked by a pack of wolves. Blaze himself was being attacked by two lions. He tossed one lion aside only to feel the second on his back, digging its razor fangs into the back of his neck. Suddenly the light from his crystal flared and blinded the two lions, sending them retreating. He was healed of his injuries.  
  
_This can't go on for much longer. It's going to take a miracle to save all of us,_ Blaze thought as he attacked again.   
  
  
  
Amaya shook her head at her friend. Josephine had thrown up earlier and now she was stuffing her face as if she had never been sick. How was it possible to eat that much in just ten minutes. She glanced over at Kento and saw him in much the same situation. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Sometimes she wondered if they were twins.  
  
Cye himself was not eating at all. They had all agreed to go to a McDonalds Restaurant to give Mia some private time with Hiroshi, and so far Cye hadn't touched his Quarter Pounder at all. He kept staring at his tray, his eyes unfocused and troubled. Amaya was the first to notice this because of her link with him.  
  
"Cye, what's the matter?" she asked. This got Josephine's and Kento's attention, and they stared at the Torrent owner with worry.  
  
"I…I'm not quite sure. It feels like something bad happened over there. To Ryo and the others," Cye replied, his voice quavering.   
  
Kento jumped to his feet. "Then I say we…" He paused, remembering about Mia suddenly. He sat down again frowning deeply. "Rats."  
  
"I wish we could do something to help," Josephine admitted. "But there's not a lot we can do except pray."  
  
"Then let's do that now!" Amaya declared.   
  
They all agreed and they prayed for their friends. It was all they could do for now.  
  
  
  
Thunder was very quiet and feeling more depressed than ever. He stared helplessly at his dog. He knew the dog was dead, and he could do nothing to bring him back. Not while he was tied up. He had tried to get away earlier, but a frown from his father told him not to, and so he stayed put. He glanced toward Sage and frowned. He knew deep down inside that Sage was being controlled, but when he had seen him hurt Hana he had snapped. He then realized what his feelings were for Hana. Though he could never tell his dad that. It would cause more problems for him and for Hana too. If only there was some way around this whole mess.  
  
Borya was thinking of some plans for his newly conquered castle. He was already taking the king and queen's master bedroom as his own. Sage would have a room next to theirs, and the prisoners would spend time in the dungeon until he had them executed. He was so deep in thought he didn't see Sage walk away from him and stand at the window, staring out of it. It was at this time that Alina appeared in the room.  
  
"Alina, what are you doing here?" Borya asked, "Aren't you suppose to be taking care of those teenagers?"  
  
Alina walked over to her husband and kissed him deeply, "Don't worry. They're not dead, but taken care of; unfortunately, my half was destroyed."  
  
Borya raised an eyebrow at his wife, "Hmph…figures you couldn't carry out a simple task, but it doesn't matter, now does it? As long as my half is in tact, he will remain with us."  
  
"Perfect! The teenagers didn't get into the room, though, what is it you keep in that room, my love?" Alina asked.  
  
Borya smiled at his wife, "Nothing of your concern."  
  
Alina pouted a little but decided to start another conversation, "How are the royals?"  
  
"They need to be escorted to the dungeon, but, all of the other soldiers are outside taking care of a pest problem," Borya turned towards the window, "Would you take them?"  
  
Alina beamed, "Yes," She kissed Borya before she teleported into the throne room where the Italian and German royals were being held captive. She took a good look at the prince. He was actually quite handsome. He had a well-toned muscle line. He didn't have his armor on any long and she could see his feature. _Hm…I wonder…_  
  
"So, you're in on this too, Alina?" Thaitus asked, "I thought of you better than that."  
  
"Oh, King Thaitus, you're so naïve. You actually think that I wouldn't help my husband, the man I love?" Alina asked him, "Well, no time for questions, I'm here to escort you six to the dungeon," With a snap of her fingers, they were all teleported to the dungeon, where they would wait for the execution, "German prince, you're to come with me."  
  
"Why him?" Lila asked.  
  
Alina shot her a glare, "It's none of your concern," She waved her staff in front of everyone and released them from his or her restraints and left the dungeon. She teleported Thunder and herself to a private room and sat him down on the bed, "Now, would you please tell me what you and your friends are?"  
  
"Why did you bring me here?" Thunder asked countering her question.  
  
Alina half laughed, "I'm the one asking questions here, but if you won't answer me, I'll force it out of you," She smiled seductively and pulled Thunder in for a kiss. She could tell that he wasn't happy with her, so she only deepened it by forcing her tongue in his mouth.  
  
Thunder struggled under the queen's kiss. He thought of something. He leaned into her embrace a little just enough to get his arms on her shoulders. Then, he pushed her back and wiped his mouth off, "What in God's name are you doing?"  
  
"Simple," Alina replied. She took the upper hand again and waved her hand in front of Thunder. Soon, the scene changed to where he was laying and tied to the bed. Alina's appearance changed to something that was a very good, evil seductress, "I lust for you, prince. You simply amaze me. How you're so well built at such a young age. I couldn't help but feel lust for you."  
  
Thunder started to panic when he noticed that he was only in his boxers. He became more uncertain when Alina climbed on top of him, "Lust is on of the seven deadly sins, and rape is a crime."  
  
Alina only smirked as she leaned on to him more and more. She could feel him against her and she became more and more lustful, "Well, I'm a sinner and a rapist then, but think, my husband and I will soon rule this country and defy all law of man and God," before he could say another word, Alina kissed him hard and forced herself in him…  
  
  
  
  
Back at the hotel, Flash and Shades were keeping watch just incase any Roman soldiers got any smart ideas while Hana was healing the more wounded. Since the gem was destroyed, Hana found out that most of her healing powers had come back to her. Relieved that she could help her friends, she immediately got to work. Rekino hadn't been hurt that bad, but Hana healed her leader anyways. Rowen and Scorpio had suffered massive damage. Ryo was doing fine as well. He only had a big knot on his head.  
  
Rekino was in the kitchen waiting for Hana to get back with news on the others. She saw Flash and Shades outside on the balcony keeping watch. She noticed that her brother was on the couch with an icepack on his head, "Bro, are you gonna be okay?"  
  
"No! My head is killing me!" Ryo complained.  
  
Rekino snickered, "Which one?"  
  
Ryo looked at his younger sister with big eyes, "Okay Ms. Hoochie, what has gotten into you?"  
  
"Nothing! I just couldn't pass up with opportunity to ask you that!" Rekino laughed as she was fixing her drink, "I guess that Sanada hard head failed you, huh?"  
  
"I'll say," Ryo said as he kept the ice pack on his head, "Man, that woman packs power. I wonder where she got it from? More so, where's the king? Did she kill him or what?"  
  
"I don't know," Rekino sighed and sat down next to her brother, "I haven't seen him around. That's what I thought, but why would she do that? I mean, why leave the man you love alone?"  
  
Ryo looked at Rekino with question in his eyes, "I could ask you the same question, imotochan," He scooted closer to her, "You seem to be pushing Rowen away lately? What's up?"  
  
"I over heard you talking to Rowen about marrying me. That should sum it up, niichan," She said softly as a tear went down her cheek, "That's why I pushed him away, but when Alina hurt him…I just…snapped. Everything seemed to fade away. The reason why I was mad at him."  
  
"I'm sorry you had to hear that, but I have to say you got one of the best shots in on Alina. First, when you came out from the ruble, then when you got her with your non-armor magic," Ryo said proudly.  
  
"You saw it?"  
  
"Barely," Ryo said, "But I was glad Flash got us outta there. I don't think we could've taken anymore."  
  
At that moment, Flash and Shades walked in, "I heard my name. What's up?"  
  
"Not a lot," Rekino said, "How's everything outside?"  
  
Shades sighed, "The streets are filled with either dead Romans or Germans. It seems that this battle has turned out to be horrible."  
  
"Question," Hana asked as she came into the room, "Do you think we'll be able to beat her?"  
  
Rekino let he head fall, "I don't know blondie. I just don't know."  
  
"How are the others?" Flash asked, "Is Scorpio okay?"  
  
"Yes. Both of them are. Scorpio just got the shock of his life, literally. Rowen's fine, but he's in some pain that I couldn't help. His heart is hurting…REKINO!"  
  
"What?! What'd I do?" The Lady of Wildfire asked innocently. She noticed that everyone was starting at her, "Okay, okay, sheesh, I'll talk to him tomorrow."  
  
"Not tomorrow," Ryo said, "Now!"  
  
"Okay, who are you to be ordering me around, huh?" Rekino asked stubbornly, "I have you know that I am your sister and we both share the same qualities. I'll talk to him when I want to, so there!" With that ended, she stuck out her tongue and flipped Ryo off, got up, and walked into her bedroom.  
  
"Yeah, she's mature alright," Ryo sighed as he kept applying ice on his head.  
  
  
  
The rest of the Ronins and Guardians arrived back at the house to see Mia watching TV, but the volume was on low. They saw that she was watching the news in other countries. It was in Germany.  
  
"Man, look at all those people," Kento replied to the news. He saw at least two hundred or more dead people in the streets, "What's going on over there?"  
  
Mia sighed, "I don't know, but it looks bad," She kept her eyes glued to the television the whole time until she caught a glimpse of someone she knew, "Guys, it's Sage! Maybe he's back on the good side again!" The Halo Warrior was standing in the window of the royal castle with his sword held high.  
  
Josephine's voice wavered when she saw Sage, "I don't think so. Look!"  
  
They all saw Sage draw back his sword and power up. The news reporter kept zooming in on him, "Ladies and gentlemen, looks like we have a young boy in a green armor standing in a window. He looks like he's about to attack. Let's check it out and see!"  
  
"No!" Cye pleaded, "You fools, get out of there!"  
  
"Thunder Bolt…"  
  
"Oh no! Bob, go! He's attacking us!" The reporter yelled.  
  
"CUT!" Sage let the attack go.  
  
"Ah…ah…ah…ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The screen went blank.  
  
Amaya dropped to her knees and softly cried, "Why…why did he have to turn to the darkness? What happened to him?"  
  
"Ryo told me that a sorceress turned him evil," Cye remarked.  
  
Kento had gotten up from his seat and walked over to the wall. Everyone looked at him when he punched the wall and left a huge hole, "Dammit! We just have to sit here and watch while our friends are over there fighting! For all we know, they could be seriously hurt and need our help!"  
  
"Calm down, Ken," Josephine said, "I'm sure Mia doesn't want Hiroshi to wake up. Plus, you put a big hole in her wall, you goof!"  
  
"Shut up, Jo," Kento shot back at her, "I'm not in the mood. I just want to go and help Ryo and the others. Not stay here and baby sit."  
  
Everyone sighed when Hiroshi started to cry. Mia sighed and got up from her seat. Walking up the stairs to the baby's room, which was Rekino's old room for the time being until her future sister-in-law returned home. She picked up her soon and looked into his green eyes, "Are you worried about your father and aunt as much as I am, son?"  
  
Hiroshi only gurgled at his mother as he watched her take him downstairs and into the kitchen to get something to eat. _Oh boy, this is going to be a long night._ Mia thought to herself.  
  
  
  
Thunder was curled up into a ball as tears ran down his cheeks. He could not believe what had just happened to him. Sure many had tried it, but never succeeded, and now it had finally come. This was more than a horrible nightmare and at the moment he wished he could die, to end this humiliation and fear.  
  
There was a bathroom that had been in the private room, and Alina was in there using the shower and singing. She had locked the door with magical energy, but still kept one leg of Thunder's chained to the bed so he wouldn't try and escape. She could hear his sobs, but that only made her smile and sing even more. She felt extremely good for someone who had just forced herself on a helpless person. And she knew she wanted to keep him, not only as a concubine, but also as a personal slave. She had already found out she couldn't control him through magic, so she would beat him if necessary, amongst other things, to force him to do her will.  
  
After she finished with the shower she dressed and put her hair up. She left the bathroom and approached the sobbing boy.   
  
"Oh come now, you know you enjoyed it, prince."  
  
"St-st-stay away from me!" Thunder managed to spit out in fear. If there was any times he needed any comforting it was now, and sadly his grandparents were too far away, and his friends could not help him.  
  
Alina smirked. "No can do. You're coming back with me to the castle as my personal slave."  
  
Thunder shook with fear and curled up more. _Why?_ He wondered. _Why did this have to happen to me?_  
  
  
  
Borya laughed his wicked laugh as he watched Sage attack the people. He had been right in getting him on his side. Soon it would all come into play. He glanced at his watch though. It was getting late. He decided to call the attack off for tonight to allow his soldiers to rest. Tomorrow he would order the German and Italian Royals executed. He stood up from the throne.  
  
"Sage, it's time to rest."  
  
Sage kept on attacking people with his surekill.  
  
Borya spoke the command again.  
  
Sage struck at an old woman and smiled upon hearing her screams. Borya became enraged. "SAGE! STOP NOW! I COMMAND YOU!"   
  
Sage turned his head and looked at him. He lowered his sword as the Roman king fixed him with a harsh glare. "Didn't you hear me?!" Sage nodded his head. "Then why didn't you listen the first time?"  
  
Sage shrugged, and Borya rubbed his temples. He did not need this. That rest would come in handy after all. He called for his wife who soon appeared with a very quiet Thunder who stared at the floor. If looked at real closely, one could see he was trembling. Borya raised his eyes to his wife. "Alina, what is this meaning of this? Why isn't that boy in the dungeon with his parents?"  
  
Alina purred as she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck. "I wanted to keep him, my love, as my own personal slave." She batted her eyelashes at him. "You will let me keep him won't you, dear husband?"  
  
Borya looked over at Thunder. He wanted the German royals dead at all cost, but something about the boy intrigued him. He decided to find out what it was. He frowned moments later. So the boy could not die from violence. Which meant when he would have him executed, it wouldn't work, he'd still be alive. And if let alive and free, he might rise up more powerful and take back his empire. No, he couldn't let that happen. He smiled down at his wife. "Of course, love. He is yours to command."  
  
Alina smiled and kissed her husband on the lips deeply before letting go and bowing. "Thank you, my dear king." She straightened up and smirked at Thunder. "We shall return to the castle at once then. Will you be staying here?"  
  
"Yes, once the royals are dead tomorrow, I'll be destroying this place. I want nothing to remember that blasted king of this empire. I will return to our castle after dusk. You'll be all right till then won't you?"  
  
Alina nodded. "Yes, my king. I will see you tomorrow night then." And with that, she grabbed Thunder's wrist and teleported away with him.  
  
  
  
Rekino decided to go to bed, too stressed out, and too worried to even think about anything at the moment. Even though Hana had healed her, her sides and back hurt like hell. Hopefully she'd be able to fall asleep. It took what seemed like several long minutes, but she finally got her wish. At first her sleep was undisturbed, but then soon images began to appear before her in a dream. She could see a man in a brown cloak, his gray hair tied into a ponytail behind his head, his face full of a mustache and beard. He seemed to be praying over a fire. What was going on? Why was she seeing this? Suddenly the fire jumped high into the air and it seemed to be turning into a person. Her eyes widened. The figure looked…looked like…  
  
  
  
Cye himself was having a similar dream. In it he was running down the street when he saw a burning building. He could hear screams. Knowing his armor was water based he sought to use it to help the people, but then suddenly, he was pulled away by someone. He couldn't see the person very well, but he saw blond hair. Was that Hana? Sage? Thunder? He couldn't tell. And then suddenly the inferno seemed to build up, and was about to explode when he noticed a figure that seemed to be made of fire stood before the building. It raised its arms and then a command came out of its mouth….  
  
  
  
Hana tossed and turned on her bed. After healing everyone she had gone to bed, completely exhausted. And now she was inside a dream. She could feel incredible anger and much power, more than any power she had ever felt before. She had no idea where it was coming from, or what its intention was. So far it didn't seem to be evil, but how could she tell that? She didn't trust anything anymore. Whenever she did it turned out to be evil or even hopeless to defeat. So what was this new power? And then suddenly she heard a voice.  
  
'_The time shall arise when the Chosen One has come to help. The powers of fiery faith will rise up and all evil shall be conquered_.'  
  
Hana blinked. What did that voice mean? Who was it talking about? There was no answer to her question.  
  
  
  
Kento wasn't having much sleep either. He had been dreaming the same dreams over and over. In it he was in the city of Germany, helping his fellow Ronins fight against the evil. He could hear the screams of the people, the burning of the flames, the uproar of the battle. It was getting all intense, and there didn't seem to be any hope left. Ryo saved him from an attack, but the enemy didn't spare his leader. He screamed Ryo's name as Ryo hollered in agony before falling down face first in a pool blood. It seemed as if they were all losing. What were they going to do? Tears ran down his cheeks as he gripped his nanjinta tighter, his eyes flashing. He would make them pay! They would all pay! And then he heard an unfamiliar voice whisper to him.  
  
'_There is one amongst that can end this war_.'  
  
  
  
At the same exact time, all four woke up, sweat pouring down their faces, and their eyes wide open.  
  
  
  
Amaya had woken up with Kento and looked over at him. She saw that her fiancé had sweat pouring down from his face and was breathing hard. She scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulder, "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"  
  
Kento looked at his girlfriend with his big, dark blue eyes that were filled with fear and worry, "It was horrible…horrible! Ryo…he…he saved me and died…then, the fire…it was everywhere…"  
  
"Shh…" Amaya said as she pulled him closer and let him rest on her shoulders, "It's okay. I'm here now."  
  
  
  
Josephine had walked out of the bathroom in time to see Cye shoot up from the bed. His face was paler than normal and his breathing was shallow. Tears had started making it's way down his cheek. She immediately ran to his side and examined him, "Cye?"  
  
"Jo?" The Torrent Bearer asked through his tears, "Is that you?"  
  
She stroked his cheek softly, "Yeah, it's me. What's wrong?"  
  
"The dream…it was so real. The images were so vivid. I just want all the fighting to end. I don't want anymore of my friends hurt!" Cye exclaimed as he grabbed his fiancée and pulled her closer.  
  
  
  
Hana had ran into the bathroom and splashed her face with cool water. She looked in the mirror to make sure she wasn't dreaming.  She was on the edge of tears. That power she had felt. It was unimaginably strong. The anger kept her sixth sense in a chaotic state.  
  
"'The power of fiery faith shall rise up and all evil shall be conquered,'" Hana repeated the line from her dream, "What in the hell is that suppose to mean?!"  
  
  
  
The leader of the Lady Ronin Guardians had jumped out of bed and headed for a window just in case she was going to be sick. The images still repeating in her mind were driving her to the edge of either sickness or a mental breakdown. The person of fire had reminded her of someone. She knew it looked like…  
  
"Rekino?" A voice called out from behind to door. She turned around and saw Rowen opening the door, "Are you okay? I heard you scream and I thought that…"  
  
"It's okay," Rekino managed to get out, "I just had a bad dream, that's all. I'm sorry if I scared you, but the dream was so horrifying…so real," She left the window and walked to stand in front of Rowen, "She was so powerful. She had so much anger…hate…rage…"  
  
"Who?" Rowen asked. He didn't get an answer because Rekino had flung himself into his arm. He wrapped his arms around her quickly when she started crying, "Rekino?"  
  
"Oh God…I'm so sorry, Rowen. I'm so sorry," Rekino managed to get out through her blurry of tears.  
  
Rowen pulled Rekino's face up so he could look into her eyes, "I already know. Ryo told me. I'm the one who should be sorry. I should've never said something that I didn't mean. You know I don't like to lie."  
  
"You mean?"  
  
"Marry me."  
  
Rekino smiled. For the first time in two days she was actually happy. With the weight off of her shoulders, she brought Rowen's face down to her and kissed him passionately. She pulled him closer and he shut the door with his foot as he led her closer to the bed. The couple enjoyed a sweet reunion that night.  
  
  
  
Back at the German castle, Borya sat on the balcony of the royal bedroom watching as the streets were set up in flames. He had been in thought since he had called Sage off. The boy had ignored his command and kept killing people. Not that he didn't like seeing the Germans writhe in agony, but Sage hadn't listened to him. His mind wandered to when Alina told him that her half of the gem was destroyed.  
  
"I may just have to restore my half to full power, but how?" Borya asked aloud. He didn't want to lose Sage's power. Then, his thoughts floated to Alina and Thunder. The young prince had looked like he had been through hell, while his wife was smiling happily. He seared at the thought, "I hope she didn't do anything to the boy. If she did…" He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. He decided that a warm bath would soothe him.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer: No, we don't own the Ronins! Blah, blah, blah! If we did, we'd be on a CRUISE!!!  
Unexpected Consequences  
Chapter 14**  
  
  
  
Rekino woke up to noises coming from the kitchen. She sat up, pulling the blanket to cover her exposed upper body, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She yawned and stretched. She heard the noises again. She frowned. _Can't someone get a decent wake-up of a morning?_ She looked over at Rowen and noticed he was still asleep. Rekino smiled and kissed his lips gently before getting out of bed. She didn't make it half way before Ryo plowed through the wall sword to sword with a Roman.  
  
"GOD DAMMIT, RYO!" Rekino yelled, "What the hell are you doing?" She saw the Roman, "Oh, I see. Early morning exercise!"  
  
Ryo shot Rekino a glare before he noticed that she wasn't dressed properly, "I could make a comment about your situation, but I don't have time!" He pushed the soldier back into the kitchen and engaged with it again. She peeped through the hole and saw Flash, Shades, Scorpio, and Hana surrounding the soldier with Ryo.  
  
_I'll take that as my cue to get dressed!_ Rekino thought to herself as she ran around her room and gathered her clothes. She dressed faster that day than she had ever done in her seventeen years on Earth. When she walked into the living room, in her subarmor, she noticed that the others had the soldier tied down in a chair, "Well damn! I missed all the fun."  
  
Ryo looked towards Rekino and snickered, "No, you saw plenty of that last night!"  
  
"Okay you two, knock it off," Flash interrupted and tried to draw their attention to the hostage, "Okay, who sent you?"  
  
The Roman looked at her hatefully and spat in her face, "Go to hell."  
  
Flash wiped off her face and glared at the solider. "Heaven doesn't want me at the moment and Hell's afraid I'll take over!"

The Roman soldier sneered at her.  
  
"Now we have some questions for you, and you're going to answer them," Ryo said.   
  
"And if I don't?" the Roman snapped.  
  
Shades' temper blew up and she grabbed him by the shirt of his collar, her fist held against between his eyes. "If you don't answer the damn questions, I'll pound you so hard your mother will feel it!"  
  
Ryo, Hana, and Rekino all stared in shock at the Russian girl. They had only heard of Shades' temper, but never imagined they would see it. And somehow they weren't sure if that was only the beginning of her temper.  
  
"I'm not telling you anything!" he spat. "And you can't make me!"  
  
Shades let out a roar and suddenly attacked him, beating him on his face. She broke his nose and gave him a fat lip before Flash pulled her off. "Shades, cool it. We need him alive for now."  
  
Shades growled but submitted to Flash's order. She jerked away from her leaders grip and went to stand by Scorpio, who was beside Ryo.  
  
Rekino stood by Hana in thought. She was wondering how she could get the dude to tell everyone who sent him. She got an idea and decided to call Josephine, the resident smartass. _'Hey Jo, ya there?'_ She was answered by snoring. Rekino's mouth went into a frown. _'ATTENTION! PRESENT ARMS!'_  
  
Josephine bolted out of bed and thrust her elbow in the air, _'Yes sir!'_  
  
_'I'm not your 'sir', Jo. I'm your Leaderette!'_  
  
Josephine thought she was going crazy until she remembered that she was a Lady Guardian, _'Oh, hey Rekino. What're you doing calling me at…FOUR IN THE MORNING?!'  
  
'Oh, I just thought that you needed an earlier wake up and run like I do. Just kidding. Actually, I need your help.'_  
  
_'One, I'm not there to help you. Two, I'm too tired to think. Three, Rowen's there with you. Ask him.'_ Josephine yawned and lay back down to try to go back to sleep.  
  
_'Rowen's in the bed, and you can too help me, even if you're not here!'_ Rekino protested and got to the point, _'We're trying to get answers out of a soldier that attacked us and he won't spill. Got any suggestions?'  
  
'Yeah, do what I do when I try to get answers out of Cye: Grab him by the balls and squeeze!'_  
  
_'And if that doesn't work?'_ Rekino asked her best friend  
  
_'Tell him his mother was a hamster and his father smelled of elderberry! Romans are particular about their parents.'_  
  
_'Oh okay! You can go back to sleep now, Jo.'_ Rekino said sweetly.  
  
_'Thank you, mother,_' Josephine said smartly before she added her last comment, _'Rekino, I love you to death, but never call me again at four in the morning unless you want me to beat you when you get back!'_ With that, Josephine disconnected and snuggled closer to Cye.  
  
Rekino smiled to herself. Josephine was the best person to ask about getting answers out of men. She stepped forward, "Guys, let me handle this," She walked past Flash and up to the Roman soldier. She bent down until she was staring straight in his eyes, "I'm going to ask you sweetly to tell us who sent you before I get cranky."  
  
The Roman looked his enemy straight in the eyes before answering, "Whore!"  
  
Rekino lowered her head and shook it back and forth lightly as her bangs swayed with her. Not moving her head, she looked at him as her eyes turned darker, "I tried to be nice," With a quick movement from her wrist, she grabbed the soldier in his sensitive area. Everyone heard him cry out in agony, "Now, are you going to tell us or am I going to have to take it a step further?"  
  
The soldier's eyes were pleading with her, but he remained silent. The others were looking at Rekino like she was a genius.  
  
"Why didn't I think of that?" Shades thought a loud.  
  
"Still not gonna tell, huh?" Rekino asked. She looked behind towards Ryo to see that he was still in armor, "Hey bro, give me one of your swords, will ya?"  
  
Ryo's eyes widened, "Sis, as much as I want to get answers from him, I won't allow you to cut off his life line. That's something no man would want to experience or hear about!" He pleaded, "There has to be something else."  
  
Hana stepped forward, "There is!" She walked over to Rekino and looked down at her leader, "I'll just help her apply pressure," Before anyone could say anything, Hana put her foot over Rekino's hand and pressed down harder.  
  
The Roman soldier cried out again, "Okay! I'll tell! Just stop!"  
  
Hana removed her foot but Rekino kept a hold of the man's testicles, "I'm not letting go until he tells us. Now, spill before my friend puts her foot back!"  
  
"The queen sent me!" The Roman cried, "Alina sent me to get rid of you so she and her husband could rule Germany! I was told under strict orders not to return until all of you are eliminated!"  
  
Flash blew her bangs upward, but they settled down over her eyes once more. She glared at the soldier. "Two things. One. Queen Alina is a slut, and Germany doesn't need a slut to rule over them. And two, there's no way in hell we're going to let her and her husband takes this country over."  
  
Scorpio nodded. "We'll fight to the bitter end if we have to!"  
  
"Then you'll die miserably too!" The Roman soldier laughed. Ryo couldn't take it anymore. His sword shot out, slamming into the soldier's neck, killing him instantly.  
  
Everyone stared in shock at him. Never before had Ryo killed another human being. His temper was rising off him, and for a moment, Rekino was afraid. Her mind flashed back to the dream. Was it of her brother she dreamt about? Or was it Flash? She didn't know, but she did know one thing. They had to get rid of the body.  
  
Ryo stalked out of the room and went to sit in the kitchen to calm himself. Scorpio and Shades got rid of the body, while Flash and Rekino were trying to figure out their next move. Hana went to talk to Ryo to see if he was okay, and Flash eventually went to wake up Rowen.  
  
She looked around the room, and saw Rowen sound asleep under the sheets. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted. "This just in: The new Astrology book of the Existence of alien life forms by Professor Toyiko has finally arrived in stores!"  
  
Rowen's eyes immediately snapped open and he shot up in bed, the bed sheets surrounding his body. His eyes narrowed a few minutes later at Flash. "Flash, one of these days."  
  
"Get dressed, Smurf. We have things to do today," Flash replied as she left, closing the door behind her.  
  
Rowen threw off the covers and grabbed his clothes. "I'm not a smurf," he muttered as he dressed.  
  
  
  
Thaitus paced back and forth in the dungeon. His entire kingdom had been taken over in just hours, and most of his forces were completely wiped out. Ever since the commander Harry had left, they had been having trouble gaining a victory. Even Damien's defenses were no match against the Romans.  
  
On the bench Lila was shedding tears. Their son had been gone for three hours and she was so worried about him. Annelise and Bianca tried their best to comfort her, but it seemed to be no use. The queen of German feared her only child was dead.  
  
"There has to be a way out of here," Thaitus said as he stared at the bars.  
  
"Do you know if any of these bar locks have a weakness to them?" Damien asked.  
  
"No. My great great great great grandfather had this dungeon built very well. He took no chances when it came to prisoners."  
  
Damien nodded and rubbed his goatee as he studied the bars. "If only we could get a message to my forces. Then perhaps one could sneak here and help us out."  
  
"And if they're caught?"   
  
Damien sighed and lowered his head. This whole situation was getting worse and worse with each passing moment.  
  
  
  
Thunder was locked in a tiny room that was held in the third floor of the castle of the Roman king and queen. At the moment he was curled up on a cot, which was set against the back brick wall, trembling greatly as the tears continue to roll down his cheeks. All he could think about was what Alina had done to him. Not only did she destroy his spirit and trust, but she had taken away his virginity as well, and that was something he had wanted to save until marriage. How was he ever going to live with himself now? He didn't know the answer to that question, and he doubt he'd ever find out.  
  
The queen had forced him to wear a tunic and trousers, which added to more embarrassment. He knew why she forced him to wear the clothes, but he didn't want to think about that at the moment. Outside two Roman guards stood at his door. They were there to make sure he didn't escape. Later today, would be Thunder's first time at becoming a slave. They knew the plans Alina had for the young German prince, but they kept it to themselves. Let the kid find out himself. They didn't care.  
  
As if on cue, Alina suddenly appeared, wearing a black dress that went past her feet, and showed her butt in more detail, her breasts were almost fully exposed. She seemed to swing her hips from side to side as she unlocked the door to Thunder's 'new room'. She stepped inside and approached him.   
  
"Time to get up to start the new day," she purred. Thunder looked at her in fear and backed away from her. At this the queen snarled and grabbed him by the face. "You will serve me, young prince, or I'll see it to it you suffer greatly. Is that understood?"  
  
Thunder's eyes widened and he nodded. She could feel him trembling in her arms, and she smiled. "Good." With that she kissed him deeply.  
  
Thunder's heart pounded in terror. _Oh no! _He thought. _Not this again. Please not again!  
  
_Amazingly enough he got his wish. The queen let go of him. "You're to begin your service to me. I'd like to have a nice hot bath prepared for me."  
  
Thunder gulped. He really had no idea what to do, and any chances of escape were minimum. The queen teleported them to a private bath. She pointed out where everything was and explained how she liked her bath. She then left him, promising she was keeping a close eye on him should he try anything.  
  
Thunder did not want any part of this. At first he refused to do anything until he felt the crack of a whip against his back. He cried out in pain. The Roman soldier who had struck him sneered at him. "Get to work!"  
  
Thunder could feel the blood running down his back, staining the tunic he was wearing, and the fiery pain burning from it. Tears ran down his cheeks as he made his way to the bathtub. He had no choice but to obey.  
  
  
  
Back at the hotel, Rowen was now dressed and hearing about what had happened with the Roman soldier. He was shocked to say nonetheless, and was wondering what was going to come next. He soon got his answer.  
  
"We need to go back to the castle and rescue Thunder and his parents," Ryo said.  
  
"As if Thunder's father needs rescuing," Rekino muttered.  
  
"Sis, as much as I agree with you, we have no choice. They need our help, and as protectors of this planet, we are obligated to do so."  
  
Rekino sighed, muttering to herself. Whatever she was saying probably wasn't nice, and no one needed to elaborate either.  
  
"So when do we leave?" Shades demanded. She was ready to go at this very moment.  
  
"Right now," Flash answered. She did not want to wait any more than she had to. So all of them got their things ready and soon marched out their doors, ready for another day of intense battle.  
  
  
  
That afternoon in Japan, Josephine was stuck babysitting Hiroshi, while Mia took a bath. Amaya was in the kitchen cooking lunch and Cye and Kento were outside playing football. Josephine was bored so she thought of giving Hiroshi a talk.

"Okay kid, you're going to get your first lesson in life from me," Josephine said as she picked up Hiroshi and sat him on her knees.  
  
"Gaah!" Hiroshi cooed and drooled. He looked at one of his many god parents with his big green eyes.  
  
"Ah shut up and listen to me," Josephine took in a breath and started to sing a not so appropriate song, "Sometimes I park in handicap spaces while handicap people make handicap faces! I'm an asshole! I'm an asshole!" (A.N. Dennis Leary's song) 

In the middle of the song Mia came into the living room. She just stood there in shock, "Josephine! What are you singing to my child!?"

"His future song." Josephine replied with a grin.

"I don't think so. He is not going to be a asshole." Mia said and picked Hiroshi up. "I am relieving you of your babysitting duties."

"Thank God. I am tired of watching him. Nothing against him or anything, but he's is boring." Josephine said and began walking towards the kitchen.

"Well, he's only a baby. Babies can't do anything." Mia stated.

"Tell me about." Josephine replied and disappeared into the kitchen.

"I am so glad she doesn't have kids yet and I'm sure Cye is too." Mia sighed. Hiroshi cooed and Mia looked down at him, "You're glad too, huh?"  
  
  
  
After Flash had announced they would leave right away, Hana had went outside to the balcony and sat. She stared up at the stars. She could hear the others devising a plan to get into the castle without being noticed. She sighed. So many thoughts had been running through her head lately. She was so confused. Sage had been turned to the darkness and Thunder had been captured.  
  
Hana let a tear slid down her cheek as the stars twinkled down at her, "I don't know if you two can hear me, Thunder and Sage, but this is for y'all," She cleared her throat and let her soft soprano voice fill the air. Even Roman and German soldiers stopped fighting when they heard the majestic voice of the young woman, "Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean, Higher than any bird ever flew, Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens, I've been in love with you Stronger than any mountain cathedral Truer than any tree ever grew Deeper than any forest primeval I am in love with you," A clapping noise caused Hana to turn around. She saw Rekino and Flash standing in the doorway with the others behind them. The Lady of Halo blushed a rather bright red color.  
  
Ryo couldn't help himself, "I couldn't help but notice that some of the windows cracked."  
  
Hana didn't speak, but her blush deepened. She felt something hit her in the head and land in her arms. A dozen dying, black roses were perched in her lap. She looked over the ledge and saw several Roman soldiers looking up at her. Her face went from red to green in a second.  
  
"Oh, you have some admirers, Hana," Shades pointed out.  
  
Hana only nodded and smiled at the soldier that gave her the roses. She blew them kisses and they started screaming at her. She managed to put on an even bigger smile.  
  
Rekino had noticed the silence in her blonde friend, "Okay Hana, you are being as quiet as a whore in church on Sunday surrounded by ten paying customers!"  
  
"Nice analogy," Flash said, "But enough of this chit chat. We have work to do."  
  
Hana nodded and stood up. She waved goodbye to her friends and pushed past everyone to get back in the room. She sat the roses down and cleared her throat, "Sorry about that guys."  
  
"It's okay," Scorpio said, "We all know that you miss Sage."  
  
_Not just Sage, Scorpio, I miss your best friend too._ Hana thought to herself. She looked at Flash, "So, are we ready to go or what?"  
  
"Yeah," Flash said, "We'll get Blaze to teleport us there so we won't have to go through the brigade of idiots again."  
  
Rekino slapped her hand on the table. "Then what are we waiting for?!"  
  
"Calm down, Rekka," Rowen said. "We'll get there."  
  
Flash summoned Blaze and the giant wolf appeared in the room. He looked a bit tired, but ready to do what Flash commanded him. When he was given the order, he teleported all of them directly into the German castle itself, and then he disappeared, going back to the battle.  
  
Ryo blinked as they all found themselves in a hall. "Wow, that was fast."  
  
"Damn," Shades muttered. "I was hoping we'd get a good fight!"  
  
"We will, Shades," Scorpio said. "I think Blaze had a very good reason for bringing us to this particular spot."  
  
"Whatever," Shades grumbled.  
  
"Okay, here's the plan," Flash said getting down to business. There was no time to waste, as each second was valuable.   
  
We're going to split into two groups. Each group will take a part of the castle. One group will look for the royal families, and the other group will distract the Romans."  
  
"Good idea, Flash," Rekino said. "Question is, who does what?"  
  
"Here's who I believe should be in what group. Shades, Rowen, Ryo, and Scorpio can be group one. Distract the soldiers. Hana, Rekino, and, I will be group two, and we'll will look for the royal families," Flash said. "We all agreed?"  
  
Everyone nodded and they all got into their groups. Group 1 went eastward and Group 2 went westward.   
  
  
  
Thunder was finally allowed to go back to his room after serving Alina for countless hours. He was so depressed he considered taking a poison just to put himself in a coma. That way he wouldn't have to suffer at her hands. He lay on his bed for a long time, blinking. He thought he heard someone singing earlier though, and that was the only thing that kept him from doing anything drastic. The singer had sounded like Hana. He sighed as he closed his eyes. He missed her, and all of his friends. And then he too sang, his beautiful voice filling the castle and going out for blocks.

 "On the horizon a glimmer of hope fades away days seem darker with every step taken and lives are washed away. Then a new dawn arrives, and the time to stand your ground has come. Though there'll be scars you'll never be far doing what your heart tells you to do. Dreams are given for a time, the battle will be rough, but you'll always have me by your side. Don't give up; you can make it if you try.  Follow your goal and let your soul take you over to a new beginning, starting with you and I. The time to fight has come. Lives are depending upon you. Suffer what you must, fight till the bitter end. I'll always be there for you." Thunder suddenly stopped singing as he thought he heard footsteps. He lay down and closed his eyes, hoping Alina or her guards had not heard him  
  
  
  
Hana paused for a moment, and Rekino and Flash looked at her in concern. They had been sneaking around the castle, avoiding most of the guards, and now Hana was standing there with a peculiar expression on her face.  
  
"Yo, blondie, ya all right?" Rekino asked with concern in her voice.  
  
"I…I thought I heard Thunder…singing."  
  
Flash blinked as she and Rekino shared a look. Neither of them had heard anything.   
  
"Well, I don't hear anything," Rekino said. "Let's get going."  
  
Hana nodded. She didn't know if they thought she was crazy or not, but she really didn't care. She followed them down the halls, getting past the soldiers with no problems. Finally they reached the dungeon area. When they heard familiar voices, they knew they had found what they had been looking for.  
  
"Thaitus, I worry for our son," Lila said as she wrung her hands.  
  
Thaitus nodded. He was certain he had gained more gray hairs than he had ever had before. He paced constantly back and forth, praying for a miracle. To their shock, they received one. Flash, Rekino, and Hana appeared before their cell.   
  
"So this is where they're keeping you?" Flash asked, looking at the dungeon in disgust. "How rude. I'd sue."  
  
"So you're a comedian I see," Thaitus said as he folded his arms.  
  
"Hey, be grateful I'm not your enemy," Flash retorted.  
  
"Okay, let's get them out of here," Rekino said.  
  
"Wait! Where's Thunder?" Hana said.  
  
Queen Lila lowered her eyes. "Queen Alina took him from us. We haven't seen him in hours."  
  
Flash growled. "We'll find him. That slut will pay too if I find out she hurt him in any way. Now all of you stand back!"  
  
The two royal families did as she commanded, and Flash focused her powers on the lock. The lock snapped off from the intense heat, and the door sprang open. The royal families were free. "Rekino, take them to safety. Have Blaze teleport all of you to a place he can think of where they'll be safe."  
  
Rekino nodded and guided the royal families off. She soon called upon Blaze who appeared.  
  
Bianca screamed in fear. "A giant wolf!"  
  
Rekino hid a smirk, and then looked at Blaze. "Blaze, take us all someplace safe!"  
  
The wolf nodded and closed his eyes. And Rekino and the two royal families suddenly vanished from sight.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Disclaimer: Oh yes I see a vacation coming for us! Yeah, right. I wish we owned them!  
Unexpected Consequences.  
Chapter 15.  
  
  
  
**Rekino opened her eyes to find herself back in the hotel suite, along with the two royal families. Bianca was blinking, and then looking around the place curiously. Her parents were bewildered, and King Thaitus was ready to start asking questions; however, Rekino put a stop to it.  
  
"Sorry, but I have things to do. Listen, you'll be safe here as long as you don't leave. I have to go save your country, and my friend." With that, she left in a hurry, leaving them to be confused.  
  
"Now what?" Lila asked.  
  
"Perhaps, they would not care if we searched for some food?" Annelise suggested.   
  
All of them were hungry, and though they didn't like to take other people's foods, they decided to search for some anyhow. Curiosity got the better of the king and he went snooping around the two suites. He soon came to a room where he could tell some boys slept. He went to one bed and began looking around. He soon found a journal. Immediately getting suspicious, he opened it and began to read.  
  
'December 4th, 2001. Well, today went rather well. Thunder and I went sledding at the largest hill we could find in Missoula, Montana. We had only been here for about two days, and those hills were just calling our names. I've never seen Thunder so happier before. It was actually good to hear him laughing. Grandma had the right idea to let us all come here. It's amazing what they'll do for him.'  
  
Thaitus skipped forward several pages and read another excerpt. 'June 6th, 2002. School's officially over! I am so happy. Now I get to go surfing and horseback riding more often now. Speaking of horses Thunder's is getting good with them. I've been teaching him how to ride, and he's catching on quickly. Oh well, I can't write long. Thunder's got a doctor's appointment and I have to help Grandma and Grandpa get him in the car. Gee, what fun. I hope he doesn't throw me onto the tree tops again.'  
  
Thaitus blinked. Was this person a son of the people who took care of his son? He didn't know. He was bout to read more when Lila spoke from behind him. "Dear, what are you doing?"  
  
"Checking to see if anyone is plotting against us."  
  
"Dear, forgive me, but why would they bring us to safety if they were going to kill us?"  
  
Thaitus shrugged and flipped forward through several more pages. He finally came to the last page. 'February 8th, 2003. Well, today's the day. We're finally going to see if we can get Thunder back. I miss him so much. I haven't been able to sleep well or even eat. I've never met anyone so kinder and generous. If it wasn't for him I would have lived on the streets, or even been murdered. He saved my life. We shared everything together. Our dreams and our fears. I told him how I used to be afraid of the dark when I was younger, and he told me he was afraid of losing his friends more than anything. Now I can see that revelation had come to pass ever since we found out he was the missing son of the royal family. Though one thing bothers me. Rekino and Mia's history books give them different names than their real names. I wonder why. Perhaps it's not my knowledge to know. I only pray they will let Thunder come back with us. I know deep inside he wants to go home.'  
  
Thaitus slammed the journal shut and tossed it on the bed. He stormed out of the room, leaving a startled Lila to follow quickly after him. She followed him to the kitchen where Bianca was eating some pasta with her parents, and watched as he sat down heavily.  
  
"Dear, are you okay?"  
  
Thaitus held his face in his hands, his emotions running over him. For once he could not answer her.  
  
  
  
Rowen, Shades, Scorpio, and Ryo had fought their way through several Roman soldiers. They had called upon their surekills plenty of time to wipe most of them out, and were slowly advancing their way through to the main room where Borya was. 

Flash was about to go to Alina's castle, but ended up staying because of more Roman soldiers attacking. Rekino, who had arrived there shortly later, also wanted to go and rescue Thunder. She didn't see how that was possible. It was then that Blaze appeared before her with a black wolf as big as he was. She noticed right away there was a scar on his right eye, and for a moment she was reminded of Cale.  
  
"Blaze, what's going on?"  
  
'_Guardian of the Wildfire, this is Hawk, one of my most trusted allies. He will guide you to Thunder. Follow him swiftly, and watch carefully as his appearance will change suddenly_.'  
  
"What do you mean?" Rekino asked, becoming more bewildered.  
  
'_You'll soon see_,' Blaze replied, and then left quickly, leaving a silent black wolf alone with her. She stared at the wolf, and he stared back. This wolf looked strong, and as powerful as Blaze. For a moment she shuddered. She didn't know why, but the wolf made her nervous. Perhaps it was because of the scar?  
  
The wolf moved past her, and she quickly followed it. They went through several spaces between buildings and through several fighting soldiers. She took down a few Roman soldiers, and to her surprise watched Hawk rip more directly in half. It was extremely gruesome and she fought hard not to throw up.  
  
They continued to move along, traveling endlessly over a period of three miles. It was amazing that Rekino wasn't the least bit tired, although she was quite relieved to see to Alina's castle directly before her. Hawk took out the main guards at the entrance, and Rekino was now wondering how to get into it since all the doors could be trapped. It was then she noticed that Hawk was gone.  
  
"Hey! Where'd you go, Hawk?" she whispered, looking around anxiously. This went on for several minutes, before she heard a tapping noise above her and off to the right. She looked up and saw a hawk there, tapping its beak against a window. She stared, blinking, and then her eyes widen as the bird of prey turned its gaze on her. It had a scar on his right eye just like the black wolf did. So was this what Blaze had meant? She knew it had to be. With Hawk's help, she managed to get inside the castle through that window. Once inside, Hawk turned back to his normal wolf self.  
  
"Okay, Hawk. Help me find Thunder," she whispered. She didn't need to have any guards hearing her.  
  
The wolf stared at her, and she stared back, waiting for it to turn and start sniffing along the floor. Instead, she was given something else. A vision suddenly appeared in Hawk's yellow eyes. In it she saw Thunder curled up on a cot inside a small dusty room. Her eyes widen with anger and pity, and she immediately set off down the hall, with Hawk running beside her.  
  
The Lady Guardian of Wildfire kept running until she came across three hallways, each leading in a different direction. She scratched her head and looked down at Hawk, "Okay, this is your job."  
  
Hawk nodded and started to sniff by each of the doors. After his second time around, he stopped at the middle door and scratched it with his claws. Rekino smiled, walked over, and petted Hawk on the head, "Good wolf. Remind me to give you a treat when we get somewhere with food."  
  
The team walked silently down the stretch of halls. Rekino had wanted to transform in her armor, but didn't see the need since there wasn't any trouble. Hawk stopped, which made her stop, and growled. In front of them were three Roman soldiers, guarding a door. She made scowling face and remembered something: Ryo wasn't here to tell her how to fight. _All right, it's time to do things my way!_ She thought to herself.  
  
Rekino took in a deep breath and continued to walk down the hall with Hawk at her side. The Romans didn't notice her until she was three feet away from them. The got in a fighting stance and pointed their weapons at the intruder.  
  
"Halt!" The first Roman said, "Or you will be killed."  
  
Rekino stopped and slipped into a fighting stance while Hawk was beside her growling fiercely, "Okay dudes, there's three of you, one of me, and a very pissed off wolf. Who do you thinks gonna win?"  
  
"Us!" The second soldier charged Rekino.  
  
The youngest Sanada smiled and flipped backwards, kicking the soldier in the head. She landed and flew at him and punched him in the gut. The soldier fell to the ground and Rekino picked up his weapon and stabbed him through the head. She pulled the weapon out and threw it at another one. The soldier didn't have time to move before the weapon went through stomach and he was pinned to the wall, blood coming out his mouth.  
  
The last Roman glared at the intruder. He was ready to charge her but was hit from behind by the wolf. He had time to scream for help before Hawk ripped him to shreds. Hawk howled at his kill and looked at Rekino. She was at the door.  
  
"Hey, is it safe to open this door? I mean, I'm not gonna be swarmed by Romans, am I?" She saw Hawk nod that the room was safe to go in, "If you're lying to me, I swear…you're grounded!" She opened to door carefully and stepped in. The room was dark; not a smidge of light could be seen. She heard movement and slipped into another fighting stance, "Hello?"  
  
A voice answered her back, "Who's there?"  
  
Rekino could recognize that voice from a mile away. She felt on the wall for a light switch and found it. She turned on the lights and saw Thunder sitting up on the cot. His face was stained with tears. She became enraged with anger and hatred. Someone was going to pay for hurting her friend. She just hoped that she could clean Thunder up before Flash, Scorpio, and Hana saw him.  
  
Thunder blinked at the image before him. It was Rekino in her subarmor. He finally thought he was saved until his fear overtook him again. Maybe Alina was creating this image to play a cruel, practical joke on him. He pulled his knees up to his chest and started to shake with fear.  
  
Rekino advanced towards her friend, "Thunder! Thank God it's you! Come on, we have to get out of here before the morons show up again!" She went to reach for his hand put her pulled back from her quickly, "Thunder?"  
  
"Stay away from me!"  
  
  
  
Back at the castle, Flash and Hana were fighting with Ryo, Scorpio, Shades, and Rowen. They had been bombarded with soldiers when they reached the door to the throne room. Everyone had been so caught up in the fighting that they had forgotten about Rekino. The fighting had been so intense that no one noticed that the Guardian of Wildfire had been missing.  
  
Rowen was flying above the soldiers. He was tired of this. He drew back and arrow and released his ultimate weapon, "Arrow Shock Wave!" The sure kill went on for miles, destroying the rest of the soldiers. He landed and joined the others before going into the throne room.  
  
"Hey guys," Flash spoke up, "Where's Rekino?"  
  
Taking note to Flash's statement, they all looked around. She was right; Rekino was nowhere in sight. Ryo let his head fall, "She's probably God knows where doing God knows what with God knows who!"  
  
Shades raised and eyebrow, "Is that a bad thing?"  
  
Ryo looked at his friend, "Yes, it is. When Rekino's involved doing something on her own, the sparks will fly," Ryo dropped to his knees, "Ancient One, please give Rekino, where she is, the knowledge to know what's right and give me the strength not to beat the hell out of her when I see her again."  
  
  
  
"What do you mean, stay away?" Rekino asked, "I'm here to get you out! Now, we have to go!"  
  
Thunder looked at Rekino with questionable eyes, "How do I know that you're not an illusion created by Alina?"  
  
Rekino made a face like she was completely disgusted. She felt a nudge on her leg and looked down to see Hawk nodding his head towards the door. _Okay, I've got to get Thunder outta here._ She walked back towards her friend and grabbed him by the arm. She felt him struggling under her grip, "Listen to me, Storm, we have to get out of here. Flash and the others are at the castle and for all we know they could be fighting Borya right now and needing our help! Now you can either come with me willingly or I'll just have to carry you out!"  
  
"He's not going anywhere!"  
  
Rekino turned around to see Alina standing in the doorway with a horde of Roman soldiers behind her. She let go of Thunder and stood in front of him defensively, "Like you have a say so in it. He's going with me and you can't do a damn thing about it or my name isn't Rekino Sanada!"  
  
Alina smirked and raised her staff above her head, "We'll see about that. Soldiers, attack!"  
  
"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Rekino smirked, "Hey Hawk, hold em off while I change, will ya?" She saw Hawk jump on top of a soldier and start attacking the others. Rekino got in her summoning position, "Symbol of Virtue, shine forth and envelop me in the Lady Ronin Armor of Wildfire, JIN!" Fire swirls surrounded Rekino and in seconds she was in her full battle armor. She unhooked her Wildfire Sword from her scabbards on her sides and charged the Romans head on.  
  
Thunder watched as Rekino and Hawk fought with Romans. In the back of his mind, he knew that Rekino wasn't an enemy; in fact, she was fighting for his freedom right now. He felt sorry for not believing her earlier. He turned around when he felt someone take his arm. He punched the soldier with his left hand into the wall. _I didn't know I had such a good left hook._   
  
It didn't take long before Rekino and Hawk finished off the soldiers. Now, Rekino was ready to fight with Alina. She had a score to settle with the queen. Before the Guardian could make a move, Alina revealed a secret.  
  
"I'm sure you would love to know what he's been doing here?" Alina asked. She noted that her enemy's eyes grew a darker shade of purple, "He's been fulfilling my needs," This time, the Wildfire guardian raised an eyebrow. The queen sighed, "He's been my _personal_ slave, if you get what I mean."  
  
"WHAT?!" Rekino screamed. She looked back at Thunder and noted the look on his face. She knew that Thunder would never do anything like that with a woman unless he really cared for her, and to note his shyness and insecurity around women. She could only come to one conclusion, "You raped him?"  
  
Alina smirked, "Took you long enough to figure out," She raised her staff above her head, "And I intend for him to stay with me."  
  
Rekino's blood was boiling inside of her. She wanted to knock the living daylights out of the woman, but she knew it was impossible. Alina was extremely strong, and for once, she had to let her pride go, "I'm sorry, but I have a different agenda," Without thinking, Rekino took both of her swords, positioned them right, and threw them right at Alina. They whizzed through the air and went straight through the queen's arms, pinning her against the wall.  
  
Hawk was growling at the two human. He quickly changed to his bird form and flew out the window. Rekino turned around quickly, grabbed Thunder by the arm, and jumped out the window, following Hawk to safety. She could her Alina screaming from the window and decided to run faster. Once in the alley, Rekino let go of Thunder and slumped against the wall.  
  
Silence filled the air before Thunder spoke, "Thanks for saving me."  
  
"You better be thanking me," Rekino spoke harshly, "I had to give up my swords for you! Do know how pissed Ryo's gonna be at me?"  
  
"I didn't mean for you to do that," Thunder said softly, lowering his head.  
  
Rekino felt sorry for yelling at him the way she did, "Hey, it's okay. I can always get them back. Besides, we're alive and safe. That's all that really matters, right?"  
  
Thunder shuddered at his memories, "If this is what you call being safe, then I guess your right."  
  
At that comment, Rekino frowned. She stood from the wall and went to hug her friend. She felt him tense up a bit but leaned into the hug and put his head on her shoulder, "I'm sorry she did that to you, Thunder. But I promise you she'll pay dearly," She pulled away to look into her friends blue eyes, "I mean, I talk about raping Rowen all the time, but I never mean it. To think that the slut, whore, bitch…"  
  
Thunder laughed, "I get the picture."  
  
Rekino smiled, "Good. Now, let's get out of here before we're caught. Ryo's probably mad at me already. I just hope he doesn't flip out when I told him I lost my swords," Rekino let go of Thunder and the two teens followed Hawk back to the safety of Germany and their friends. Rekino and Thunder finally arrived on the scene after what seemed like an eternity. And just as Rekino knew, Ryo yelled at her for going off on her own.  
  
"REKINO SANADA, ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOU KNOW YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSE TO GO OFF ON YOUR OWN!!"  
  
This surprised everyone who stared in horror and yet awe at the two siblings. Rekino's head went down and she heaved a huge sigh. Any other time she would yell back, and they'd be calling each other names again. But right now, she didn't want to go through that. Not after what had been happening lately.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. Blaze sent me to get him, okay, Ryo? Take it up with him."  
  
Ryo blinked. He was about to say something again, when she beat him to it. "And besides, he sent one of his most trusted wolves along with me."  
  
"Who?" Scorpio asked.  
  
"Hawk. He's an actually nice wolf. "  
  
Flash, Shades, and Scorpio's mouths dropped open as they stared in shock. Rekino stared at them, raising an eyebrow.   
  
What?"   
  
"That's incredible," Scorpio said. "No one's ever been able to get close to Hawk. Not even Flash."  
  
"Yeah, it's surprising," Flash said with a nod of her head.  
  
"Well, I guess I did," Rekino said with a shrug.  
  
"Now that we're all here, can we go now?" Ryo asked. Everyone agreed to that, except for his sister, "What's wrong, Rekino?"  
  
"Well," Rekino said wringing her hands, "I kinda have a problem."  
  
"I'm still listening," Ryo said.  
  
Rekino took in a deep breath, "I kinda lost my swords."  
  
"YOU WHAT?!" The Wildfire bearer screamed infuriated.  
  
Rekino's eyes were pleading, "It was for a good cause. I swear!"  
  
Ryo rubbed his temples, trying not to let his temper take over him. He took deep breaths in and out. Finally after what seemed forever, he looked at her. "Okay, tell me how you lost them."  
  
Rekino was about to comply when suddenly they heard a laughing voice, which made them all quickly get on guard. "Well!" Borya said. "So nice of you all to be together, and his young royal highness, how splendid of you to return!"  
  
Thunder glared at him heatedly. And then he noticed Sage standing beside him.  
  
"There's Sage!" Hana cried.  
  
Sage smirked. "Nice to see you alive, Hana. Though I dare say, I don't enjoy seeing it."  
  
Hana frowned. "What happened to you, Sage? You were never like this."  
  
Sage smirked as he drew his weapon. Flash quickly noticed the staff Borya held. It too held a gem, much like the staff Alina had held earlier that day. She looked toward Thunder. "Thunder, use your eye to destroy that gem!"  
  
"Huh?" was Ryo, Rowen, Rekino, and Hana's confusion as they looked over at them.  
  
Thunder nodded and stepped forward. The other three Warriors covered their eyes as tightly as they could, and seeing them do this caused the Ronins and Lady Ronins to do the same. Thunder uncovered his left eye, the eye he always hid behind a wall of blond hair. The eye was so intense, so bright blue, that when Sage and Borya looked directly at it, they screamed in pain, becoming blind suddenly. And then suddenly there was a loud cracking sound before an outburst came. When Borya regained his sight a few minutes later, he was horrified to see that his gem had broken.   
  
"NOOOOOO!!"  
  
Sage was blinking in confusion, not understanding what was going on. He looked at his friends, then at Borya, then back at his friends. "Guys, what's going on?"  
  
Rowen noticed that Borya was glowing a strange color as he was getting enraged. He shook his head. "Never mind that! We've got to get out of here!"  
  
"Blaze!" Flash called.  
  
The wolf did not need to be told what to do, he quickly teleported the Ronins, the Lady Ronins, and the four Warriors out of the castle before Borya could strike them down.  
  
  
  
Back in Japan, Josephine left and went the doctor for her checkup appointment. Mia had come to the conclusion to never leave Hiroshi in the Lady Hardrock's care again after walking in on her singing a dirty song to her child. She insisted on leaving him in Kento's care while she went grocery shopping with Amaya. So, at that moment in the Koji household, Kento was sitting on the couch watching a football game while Cye was in the computer room checking the stock market for the day.  
  
Hiroshi looked up at Kento and stretched out his arms. The Hardrock warrior was glued to the TV. The little Sanada made a mental note to, as soon as he could talk, tell his mom that he didn't like hanging with Kento. He finally cried and that got the Hardrock's attention.  
  
"Hey little dude, what's wrong?" Kento picked up Hiroshi and sat him on his knee, "Are you hungry?"  
  
Hiroshi only cried louder. Kento started to panic. He didn't want Cye to run in there and tell him how to watch a kid. He remembered when his little brothers and sisters only cried louder when they wanted attention, "You want me to teach you how to play football?"  
  
Hiroshi stopped crying when Kento sat him on the ground and went upstairs to get his football. Hiroshi looked around. He wasn't use to being left alone in a big room. Curiosity got the best of him and he crawled over to the stereo. He grabbed a hold of the table it was on and supported himself on it. He started hitting buttons until the radio started blasting tunes.  
  
"This is a song for the ladies, but fellas, listen closely. You don't always have to fuck her hard, in fact sometimes that's not right to do. Sometimes you've got to make some love and fuckin give her some smoochies too. Sometimes you've got so squeeze. Sometimes you've got to say please. Sometimes you've got to say hey, I'm gonna fuck you, softly. I'm gonna screw you, gently. I'm gonna hump you, sweetly."  
  
Hiroshi was bouncing up and down while the song played. At the same time, Kento came down from his room, Cye walked out of the computer room, Mia and Amaya came in through the front door, and a pale looking Josephine came in from the kitchen. All of them noted the song that was playing and Hiroshi by the stereo, bouncing up and down, giggling with excitement.  
  
Mia's eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of her head. Josephine was laughing as loud as Hiroshi. Cye's face turned as pale as powered while Kento was at the top of the stairs looking worried Mia was going to kill him. Amaya quickly ran and turned off the radio. She picked up Hiroshi and took him over to Mia.   
  
"That was complete and utter filth on the radio!" Amaya said. She looked up at Kento, "I thought that you were watching him!"  
  
"I was! He was crying so I was going to teach him how to play football. I went upstairs to get my ball and the next thing I know I'm being yelled at by an angry, overly critical, religious French woman!" Kento's face paled when he realized what he had just said. The look on his girlfriend's face could make flower's wilt, "Amaya, I'm sorry."  
  
"No," The Lady Torrent backed up against the door. She turned around and ran out of the house. Everyone heard the car crank and pull out of the driveway.  
  
Josephine looked up at his cousin, "Great going, Casanova!"  
  
Kento looked like he was about to cry. He looked down at Mia and saw her holding Hiroshi and giving him her famous "look-of-death", "I didn't mean to say that."  
  
"Action's speak louder than words, Kento," Mia said as she walked into the kitchen to get Hiroshi something to eat. She came back into the living room, sat on the couch, and proceeded to feed her son.  
  
Cye stood in the doorframe, stunned at the actions of his comrades. He saw Josephine emerge from the kitchen and stare up at Kento angrily, "Is anyone going after her?"  
  
Josephine's granite eyes were staring hard at her cousin. She reached inside her pants pocket and pulled out the keys to her new Blue Ford F-150, "I will," She took another glance at her cousin before she went out the door. She came back in when she remembered something, "Oh, before you guys ask, the doctor said I was pregnant," And with that, she ran to her trunk, revved the engine, and went out of the driveway like a mad woman.  
  
Inside, Kento's mouth fell at least ten miles. Mia dropped Hiroshi's bottle on the floor while the baby looked at the door with an eyebrow raised. Cye just took in a deep breath and fainted.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer: Don't ask me to say this again.  
Unexpected Consequences   
Chapter 16  
  
  
  
  
  
**The two Ronins, the two Lady Guardians, and the four Warriors finally made it back to the hotel where they were all staying. Thunder was surprised to see his parents there, and they were relieved to see him, as they hugged him tightly and practically cried over them. He noticed the Italian royal family was there too, and he scowled inwardly. '_Damn. Why did Blaze bring them here too? Couldn't he have sent them to Timbuktu?'  
_  
Thaitus stared at his son sadly as he was hugged fiercely by his mother. Lila had tears in her eyes as she had believed she would never see her son again. Thunder just held onto her, but he seemed rather limp, and just staring off into space, his eyes so full of pain and distrust. He was trembling with fear now, but he didn't pull away from her.  
  
Flash was watching her friend with concern, wondering what was wrong. She knew he didn't usually react like that after being a prisoner. She was wondering if something had happened to make him react that way, especially with his own mother.  
  
Hana watched Thunder sadly. She wanted to hug him so badly and tell him everything would be okay. She had no idea what had happened to him, but she was guessing it had been something horrifying for him. She glanced behind her and saw Sage. Immediately her eyes clouded with anger and she lunged for him, knocking him down to the floor. This startled everyone. King Damien gasped, King Thaitus's eyes widened, Bianca just stared; the only ones who did not seem to notice were Queen Lila and Prince Thunder. The young prince just held onto his mother as the tears soaked his face.  
  
"What the hell did you think you were doing, Sage?!" Hana screamed in the Ronin of Halo's face. He was pinned beneath her, his violet eyes staring up at her. Sadness reigned in his violet eyes, and he did nothing to defend himself from her outrage. "I can't believe you actually joined forces with that monster, and then come back with Rekino acting like you did nothing! How dare you!"  
  
"Hana, what are you doing?!" Scorpio asked as he forced himself to tear his eyes away from his best friend.  
  
"Something I should have done a long time ago!" Hana roared in anger as she drew back her fist. Sage closed his eyes, ready for the blow. Though he knew it wasn't his fault that he was on Borya's side, he felt he deserved whatever he got. And so he awaited the blow.  
  
It never came. Cautiously he opened his left eye, staring in surprise as Hana's wrist was held back by Flash.   
  
The younger girl stared at the blond haired Lady Guardian. Flash didn't seem angry; instead she seemed tired and sad. She shook her head at Hana slowly as she spoke. "It wasn't his fault, Hana. He was controlled. It was Borya and Alina's fault this all happened."  
  
No one but Lila noticed Thunder tense up at the name of Alina. Hana slowly lowered her fist and looked down at Sage. She seemed to be thinking. Finally she backed away from him and sighed. "I'm sorry. I…I just…"  
  
Sage let himself be helped up by Rowen, and he nodded. "I know, Hana. I'm sorry too."  
  
"So now what?" Shades wanted to know as she crossed her arms.  
  
"My castle is still taken over by that feign," Thaitus said angrily. "I want him stopped at any costs there is."  
  
"Oh, he'll be stopped alright," Ryo said as fire danced in his eyes.   
  
"Something is wrong with my son!" Lila suddenly shrieked, causing everyone to turn and look at them. Indeed they could see Thunder clutching tightly to her, sobbing uncontrollably and shaking violently. All of them frowned deeply, wondering what had happened. The Ronins, Hana, and the other Warriors looked at Rekino.  
  
Rekino stared back at them all sadly as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Her fists clenched and her jaw set tightly. She was unable to speak.  
  
Thaitus seemed to notice this and his eyes set with anger. "You know what happened to my son? Answer!"  
  
Rekino's eyes flashed angrily as she glared at the king. He was taken aback by this defiance, but he did not say anything. At last she spoke, her voice spewing out venom. "He was raped by that bitch, Alina."  
  
"WHAT?!" Hana stared in disbelief at her leader. She looked at Thunder and noted his distraught. Her midnight blue eyes hardened at the thought of Alina touching the one that she loved, "Rekino, I swear to God if you're lying to me, God help you!"  
  
Rekino turned towards her comrade, "Do you think that I would lie about something like this? Hell no!"  
  
"Okay," Hana started, "First, I'm gonna rip her hair out. Then, I'm gonna slit her throat and watch her bleed to death. SHE RAPED THE PERSON I'M IN LOVE WITH! SHE IS SO DEAD!"  
  
Thaitus' mouth dropped open, Bianca gasped. This mere commoner was in love with Thunder? That couldn't be…  
  
Flash was staring down at the floor, her fists clenched tightly in anger. She was shaking with rage, her body glowing bluish white. Scorpio and Shades frowned at her as they could sense the anger within her. It was then, that everyone began to sweat, and that Rekino and Ryo could feel themselves strengthening.   
  
"Oh no!" Rekino cried as she looked at Flash. Her eyes then widened. Flash was now glowing from a fiery yellowish orange to a bluish white. The colors seemed to flash back and forth in rapid random order, the heat increased, and everyone began to fan himself or herself. Scorpio backed away considerably, feeling weak. What was going on?  
  
And then suddenly Flash let out a terrifying scream, as fire seemed to engulf her. There was a scream from Queen Annelise and she fainted in her husband's arms. Bianca cried out, and everyone seemed to shield his or her eyes. When they looked again, they were shocked to see that Flash had changed. No longer was her hair a medium brown color, it was now blondish white, her eyes pure ice blue and full of rage, her body glowed the same bluish white color, though now it was surrounded by that fiery yellow, her blue colored arm bracelets had suddenly changed to gold, and they never did that except when she was in armor. (Okay. If you wish to know, and before you ask, I got this idea off DBZ where Goku transformed into a SSJ for the first time.) Everyone's mouths dropped open with shock, including Thunder, who had suddenly calmed down at feeling Flash's anger. Never before had they seen anything like this…  
  
"Oh my god!" Rekino cried out. "She…she…"  
  
"What the hell?!" Ryo cried out, his eyes widening with disbelief. He touched a hand to his forehead. It was pulsating with his own kanji flashing on his forehead. Rekino could feel hers going off as well, but she wasn't worried about that. Her dream kept flashing in her mind.  
  
Hana, too, was thinking of her dream. Was this what the voice inside the dream had said. She saw Flash's symbol light up on her forehead, and whispered, "The power of fiery faith will come…"  
  
"Flash?" Shades asked nervously.  
  
Flash's eyes narrowed dangerously and Shades backed away. This was unusual. Shades was never really scared of anything at all. Finally Flash spoke in a dangerous voice. "I'm going to put an end to this once and for all." And suddenly she disappeared from the room.  
  
"Where'd she go?!" Thaitus asked, looking around frantically.  
  
Rowen's eyes were widened with shock and disbelief. "Did you see that?! She vanished without Blaze's help!"  
  
"This…is too weird," Ryo said as his kanji stopped glowing.  
  
"I'll say," Rekino muttered. "I had a dream this would happen."  
  
Hana whirled around and stared at her in surprise. "You too!?"  
  
"Wait! What the hell you talking about?" Shades demanded. "Dreams? What dreams?"  
  
Rekino and Hana then related their dreams to everyone who listened. Everyone was silent as they waited for the girls to finish and when they did, it was all silent, as if everyone was thinking. Finally Thunder spoke quietly. "The prophecy came true at last."  
  
Thaitus raised an eyebrow at him, and Ryo looked toward him. "What do you mean?"  
  
"In the beginning when evil took over America, we Warriors gathered together to train. It was written that the leader of the Warriors would one day transform when an evil came to conquer. We all thought it would happen when Tutock attacked again and again, but it never did. We finally put it in the back of our minds. And now…because…because of what happened to me… she transformed just as the prophecies said she would."  
  
"Well damn," Rekino said as she threw her arms up in the air, "I knew that dream meant something, but I thought it was Ryo there for a point in time."  
  
Ryo looked at his sister with confusion written all over his face, "You did? Thank you, sis! You're so cool!"  
  
"Don't get too smug," Rekino laughed.  
  
Hana had been watching the door the whole time. Flash didn't even go through the door, and the Halo Guardian wanted to go right through it. She saw Sage look at her from the corner of her eye with confusion and hurt written all over his face. Without taking her eyes off the door, she answered him, "I know you have something on your mind, Sage, so spill."  
  
Sage cocked his head to the side and spoke loudly enough to draw everyone's attention, "Did you mean it? Do you really love Thunder?"  
  
"Is it really any of your business?" Hana's head turned towards Sage. Her midnight blue eyes clouded with many emotions. She put a hand on her sub-armored hip, "Personally, Sage, my feelings towards any other person is none of your damn business. None of this would've happened if you hadn't joined forces with Alina."  
  
Everyone's attention was now on the two Halo's argument. Hana had turned around completely and was having a staring contest at Sage.  
  
"Flash already told you…"  
  
Hana couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes narrowed hard and, for a minute, Sage was scared. He didn't see it coming when Hana slapped him across the face. The sound had reverberated off the walls and the Ronins cringed in horror. Rekino mouthed a line of cuss words. The royals stared in shock at the young warrior's temper. Thunder's expression hadn't changed. He just kept staring.  
  
"No more excuses, Sage Date!" Hana screamed, "Fucking hell, you almost KILLED me! I could fully blame you for what happened! Hell, I could blame Rekino for not keeping an eye on you!"  
  
"Hey!" Rekino screamed. She shut her mouth when Hana shot a death defying glare, "Shutting up."  
  
"As for the answer to your rude question, yes, I love Thunder. I have for a long time. For a moment, my heart was torn between you two, but your actions quickly made my heart change," She turned around so her back was facing the on lookers. Everyone heard light sobbing. Hana was crying, "I trusted you, Sage. I honestly trusted in you, but…your defiance proved other wise. I'm sorry."  
  
"Hana…" Sage reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but she quickly turned around and bent his wrist backwards, "Shit!"  
  
The Lady of Halo released his wrist and looked at everyone, "Now, I'm going to do this properly since I'm in the presence of the rude, bull headed, asshole King of Germany."  
  
"Excuse me!" Thaitus shouted.  
  
Hana took in a deep breath. She started whispering and bowed as her armor formed, "If you'll formally excuse me, I have some business to attend to," She straightened herself out and walked towards the door.  
  
"Where in the hell do you think your going?" Ryo demanded.  
  
Hana turned and smiled at everyone as sweetly as she could, "I can't let Flash have all the fun. Besides, I want a hit in on both Alina and Borya," She reached behind and drew out her no datchi, "They're going down. Mark my words. They are gonna crash and burn so quickly it's going to be fucking great!" Before another words was spoken, Hana ran out the door.  
  
Rekino quickly jumped the gun, "Okay, like hell she's going alone!"  
  
"And what exactly do you plan on doing, sweetheart?" Rowen asked.  
  
Rekino cocked her head to the side and silently armored up, "Something any good leader would do. Go after her crazy ass before she gets killed!"  
  
"You're not going anywhere, Rekino Sanada!" Ryo shouted, "You better just scratch that idea and sit your butt down!"  
  
Rekino growled, "I'm the guardian here, Ryo, not you. Hana's under my protection and I'll be damned if I let her do this alone. She's not thinking right and she could be killed!" She smiled lightly, "Besides, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. Plus, I have to get my swords back."  
  
Rowen pulled Rekino towards him and kissed her hard before letting her go, "Be careful and come back. I mean it."  
  
"I will," She turned towards the German royals, "I'm sorry about my friend, she's got weird hormones. I promise we'll save your country," Rekino quickly turned on her heel and ran out the door to catch up with Hana.  
  
Scorpio sighed, "This is why I don't trust a human being that bleeds for five days and doesn't die."  
  
Shades turned around, "So you don't trust me?"  
  
The Warrior of Current held up his hands, "I didn't mean it that way. Women can be irrational, that's all!"  
  
"Yeah, sure," Shades replied as she rolled her eyes.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer: The Ronin characters belong to Sunrise and Co. The Lady Guardians belong to Winter Peacecraft-Yuy. The Warriors belong to Firestorm. Any questions?  
Unexpected Consequences   
Chapter 17**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sage was feeling very upset. Why couldn't he get Hana to understand? He hadn't meant for any of this to ever happen. He lowered his head and turned away. "Excuse me," he said softly and left the room, going into the living room where he sat down on the couch, staring at the floor as tears threatened the corner of his eyes.  
  
Rowen frowned at his best friend wishing he could help him. He didn't see why Hana had to be that way. With a sigh he went to talk to Sage.  
  
"Okay, now what do we do?" Shades demanded.  
  
Ryo was thinking. Flash was gone, Hana went out to fight out of anger, and Rekino went after her. He knew they had to fight as well, but someone needed to stay here as well. "We're going to have to fight," he said at last. "But someone is going to need to stay here with the royals. Thunder looks too messed up to be doing any protecting at all."  
  
Indeed Thunder had slumped against his mother, eyes closed, his breaths coming out in short gasps. He had fallen asleep, but it was clear he wasn't resting peacefully. Scorpio looked at his friend with sadness in his eyes. "I'll stay," he said. "Thunder's my best friend, and I don't plan on leaving him in his time of need."  
  
"Great," Ryo nodded. He glanced quickly at Thaitus as if daring him to say anything against it. Thaitus, however, was too busy staring at his son sadly, a deep pain filling his heart. No one knew the inner battle he was having with himself that very moment.

In the end Rowen had also agreed to stay behind as Sage was too upset to even think about fighting, so that left Ryo and Shades to go. The two of them quickly armored up, and headed off, determined to help out with the battle, and to find their other comrades.  
  
  
  
Rekino ran out the door and jumped down onto the streets. She saw Hana running to hide behind a rock. Rekino looked towards the west and saw Flash heading towards Alina's castle. She gasped when she noticed that any Roman soldier coming within five feet of Flash spontaneously combusted. She let out a low whistle and saw her comrade head for Borya's castle. She sighed, "Hana! Hey! Wait up!"  
  
Hana turned around and saw Rekino running towards her. She smiled a little knowing Rekino wouldn't of let her go on her own, "Hey."  
  
"And just where in the hell do you think you're going? And without me at that!" Rekino said. She smiled and hugged her friend, "We have to go with Flash. I need my swords."  
  
Hana shook her head violently, "No. We're going to get Borya. That's final. You can fight without your swords."  
  
"I just can't walk around using my non-armor magic! It'll use up my armor's strength!" Rekino protested. She heard a barking noise and turned around to see Hawk running towards her with swords in his mouth, "Hawk! Aw, thanks buddy!"  
  
"That's Hawk?" Hana asked. She looked down at the wolf and noticed the scar. She cringed, "He reminds me of Cale. That's scary."  
  
The Lady of Wildfire bent down and petted Hawk's head, getting his swords from his mouth, "I don't know how you managed to get them, but thanks!" She saw the wolf nod and run off back towards the battlefield, "He's a good wolf. Maybe I can talk Blaze into letting me have him! White Blaze needs a friend anyways."  
  
"Okay, we need to get going," Hana spoke up. She turned around and took off in a run towards the German castle with Rekino behind her.  
  
  
  
Flash had finally reached Alina's castle after blowing up at least a thousand of her soldiers that dared to stop her. She entered the castle and right away felt a presence coming closer to her, causing her to whirl around. The moment the Roman soldier went to attack her; the heat from her body suddenly caused his to explode. He didn't have a chance to scream. It was that quick. She turned around again and began to walk, a trail of fire footsteps leading away from her. As she passed statues of knights and Roman soldiers they disintegrated before her. The floors and walls seemed to crackle and melt, and wax candles adorning the wall burned to ashes.   
  
Flash stopped at a wide-open corridor, glancing this way and that. Her fists clenched angrily. "ALINA! COME OUT HERE!" Her voice echoed off the walls and seemed to bounce throughout the castle. There was a moment of silence, and then finally there was a harsh laughter from behind Flash. The leader of the Warriors whirled around just as Alina appeared before her, hovering for a few seconds in mid-air. The queen of Rome touched the ground with her feet and looked at Flash with a cold smirk on her face.   
  
"Well, if it isn't the baby commoner!" she laughed.  
  
Flash's eyes narrowed. "Save it, you cheap excuse for a whore. I heard what you did to my friend and that pissed me off."  
  
"Well, tough girl. He was just begging for me to touch him. He had such an incredible body and he filled my inner needs and desires. He was better than my husband." Alina laughed again, oblivious to the fact that Flash was surrounded by powerful energy, or the fact that her hair colored had changed. Then again, perhaps she didn't care if she did saw it.  
  
"You are pathetic!" Flash snapped. "And because of the harm you've done to him, I'll make you pay. Both you and your husband are going down as of RIGHT NOW!"  
  
Alina's eyes suddenly widened as Flash's hair began to blow behind her in a fierce manner, the heat increased itself so that it was like they were inside one of the hottest volcanoes on the planet. A long golden sword with a golden handle designed of a wolf's head and a unicorn's head suddenly appeared in Flash's right hand. Its power seemed to cut through the air, trailing a trail of sparkling fire particles after it.  
  
"So you want a battle?" Alina said as she summoned her staff. "Very well, I can oblige you on that. Remember one thing before I kill you though, my husband and I will have the German empire, and the German prince will be mine, and the warrior in green will be on our side once again, serving us loyally!"  
  
Flash's eyes narrowed as she charged at the queen and attacked her with the speed of a comet.  
  
  
  
The two Lady Guardians fought their way to the castle. The called their sure kills and magic dozens of times before finally reaching their destination. Rekino sheathed her swords and Hana put away her no-datchi. They jumped up and started scaling the walls of the castle. Opening a window, Hana went in first followed by Rekino, who fell into the castle.  
  
"Shit!" Rekino complained, "I think I twisted my ankle!" She held her left foot in her hand, "Gadammit!"  
  
"You'll be okay. We have a mission to accomplish," Hana whispered. She helped Rekino stand up and they walked down the endless stretch of halls. Not a single soldier was in sight. They finally came upon the throne room. Hana wasted no time and barged in with her no-datchi ready.  
  
Rekino sighed. _She's gonna get herself killed._ She unsheathed her katanas and limped into the throne room. No one was in sight. It was all dark, "Come out Borya! We know you're here!"  
  
A wicked laughter filled the air which made the Lady Guardians tense up, "How very perceptive of you, girl."  
  
Hana snorted, "You're going down, Borya! We're going to free this country and you're going to die a horrible death!"  
  
Borya materialized in front of the two ladies, "Is that so?" He smirked. He held out his hands and two energy balls appeared, "Well, we'll see about that!" He disappeared and reappeared behind the two guardians. They didn't have enough time to move before Borya sent the energy inside of them.  
  
Rekino and Hana screamed as the dark energy pumped through their veins. In seconds, their armor and subarmor was shed and they were left in their street clothes. Rekino fell to her knees. Due to the state she was in, the energy completely drained her physically. She felt a sharp kick in the head and flew back and hit the wall.  
  
Hana growled and readied herself for a fight, "You bastard!" She heard a grunt and turned around to see Rekino struggling to get up, "Rekino! Hold on!" She wasn't fast enough. Borya grabbed Hana by her arm and the Lady Halo had to watch as her leader and best friend was shot with an energy ball, "Asshole!" Hana got out of Borya's grip and ran to her friend's side, "Rekino! Rekino, please get up!"  
  
"No use in trying, Lady Halo," Borya smirked, "She's out cold."  
  
Hana growled and stood up in front of Rekino. She was ready to defend her friend even if it meant her death. Her eyes clouded with tears at the thought of never seeing Thunder or anyone else again, "Why are you doing this?" She received no response, "Answer me!"  
  
"Well, I want this war to end, so, I took it upon myself to end it," Borya turned around and sat down on the throne, "You see, I wanted total power. While I was in my garden, a dying sorceress approached and gave me her powers. With that, I put my whole country under my control, even my wife."  
  
Hana's eyes widened, "So she wasn't the one who caused all the suffering. You were!"  
  
"Correct, young warrior, but now, my power over my people has been lost. That's why no soldier attacked you when you entered the castle," Borya snapped his fingers and a goblet appeared in his hands, "Now, with my green armored warrior gone, I have to take care of you two."  
  
"Why did you use Sage?"  
  
"Simple," He took a drink of his wine, "The boy had mixed emotions. He was jealous of the fact that you were falling in love with the young prince, but he was started to fall in love with the other girl, Flash. By the time he arrived at Thaitus's ball, he had put everything aside. I sensed his emotions deep within him, and used them against his will. He was an easy capture."  
  
"You will suffer for all of the pain you have caused, Borya!"  
  
"Hahaha, is that what you really think?" He stood up, "You have no chance against me. My powers have sealed your ability to summon your mystical armor. What will you fight with? Your heart?"  
  
"Yes!" Hana shouted, "I am the Warrioress of Wisdom and I will not allow you to hurt anymore of the innocent people than you already have!"  
  
Borya sighed and lifted his hand, "I guess I have no choice then. You're a beautiful woman, Miss Halo, but your beauty cannot save you from me," With a flick of his wrist, he sent a deadly energy ball towards Hana. She had no time to dodge to ball. Her clothes were torn and she fell face first into unconsciousness. _Thunder…I'm sorry…_ were her last thoughts.  
  
The Roman king smirked at his victory. Unlike his wife, he didn't plan on taking advantage of the young warriors, but, he did have a plan for them. With a snap of his fingers, Rekino and Hana were lifted into the air and hung from the room by their hands. His plan was already starting to fall into action.  
  
  
  
Alina roared in pain the moment Flash had knocked her on her back. The searing heat was burning her skin, but it did not set her on fire. The pain was unbearable though, and Alina tried her hardest to get Flash off her.  
  
Finally she managed to strike at Flash with her staff, but was shocked when it had no effect on the girl. "How?" she quivered, her eyes widening as Flash's power seemed to cackle all around them.  
  
"That's for me to know and you to find out," Flash said coldly. She stood up, holding the front of Alina's dress tightly in her palm as she lifted the older woman up a few feet off the floor, glaring up at her in a rage of terrifying anger.   
  
"I promised my friends that if anyone harmed them in any way I would personally deal with that person. And now because of what you did to my friend, I'm going to carry that act out."  
  
Alina's eyes widened. "Y...you're not going to kill me are you?"  
  
Flash glared at her even more. "No, Alina. You don't deserve death. You deserve a punishment far worse than death for the crimes you have done."  
  
Alina's eyes widened more in terror. What was this child going to do? Wait! Child. That was all this girl was. Surely, she had no higher power than she herself. She could easily knock her down with her magic. She closed her eyes and began to summon up her dark arts. They swirled around her body and shot out toward Flash.   
  
But to her surprise, they had no effect on the girl. Before she could think of anything else, Flash raised her other hand, and a pulsating fireball appeared. It hovered in mid air for a few seconds, and then suddenly it slammed right into Alina's chest. The queen of Rome choked several times, her eyes went wide, and then suddenly she went limp in Flash's hand, as though she were dead. Flash let her drop to the floor and found some chains to bind the queen up. She stood up, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. She had to get to Rekino and Hana.  
  
  
  
Thunder awoke in an unfamiliar bed, in a strange room. He looked around, wondering where he was, and then he remembered as he heard voices. He could hear his friend talking to someone, but who? He sat up, rubbing his eyes and looked toward the closed door.

Outside in the hall, Scorpio was talking with Blaze. The giant white wolf had appeared just moments ago, and Scorpio was telling him what had gone on with Thunder.  
  
'_Yes, I know Storm has suffered much, but I can do nothing unless he permits me to, Current. You know this as well as he does_.'  
  
"I know, Blaze," Scorpio said with a sigh as he ran his fingers through his tangle of his orange brown locks. "It's just so hard to see him suffering. His father put so much on him with making him come back here, and then with the prearranged marriage, and the war with Rome, and then with the rape."  
  
Inside the room, Thunder's eyes welled up with tears. He remembered how Alina had taunted his body, trying to get a reaction out of him, and how she had bit him in quite a few places. He wiped his eyes and drew his knees up to his chin as he continued to listen.   
  
'_Yes, I know about all of this. However, if Storm agrees for me to help heal his soul, I will do that. But it is not up to me to change the way his life is going. He is of royalty and must accept responsibility_.'  
  
Scorpio let out a long sigh. "I knew you would say that."  
  
Blaze suddenly cocked his head and his ears twitched. '_Someone is coming. I must go._'  And before Scorpio could ask anything anymore, the wolf had vanished from sight just Lila had rounded the corner.  
  
Lila smiled warmly at him. "Scorpio, is it?" He nodded. "Scorpio, I want to thank you for being there for my son at his time of need."  
  
"You're welcome. He's helped me through a lot. I'm just sorry I couldn't have been there when that happened to him," Scorpio said modestly. He glanced toward the close door with pained sky blue eyes.  
  
"It is not your fault," Lila said.. "I know he is strong. We have to keep him strong too. I must see him now."  
  
Scorpio stepped out of her way as he opened the door for her. The queen went in and shut the door behind her, leaving Scorpio out in the hall again by himself.  
  
Thunder looked up the moment he heard his mother come in the room. He sniffled and rubbed an arm across his eyes. "Mother."  
  
Lila frowned deeply as she walked over to him and sat down beside him, drawing him into a comforting hug. "Oh, my son, I am ever so sorry this happened to you. I wish I could take it away for you, but I can do little."  
  
"I…I know. It's not your fault. I should have been stronger, but I wasn't. I was weak, and she…she overpowered me!" Tears ran down his cheeks, but it was plain to see he had been crying earlier.  
  
"Shh," Lila soothed as she rocked him back and forth. "Never think you are weak, my son. You are not weak. You are the strongest human being I've seen. Most people would have cracked by now, but you held strong."  
  
Thunder sniffled, his tears dripping on her shoulder. "I don't feel strong though. Every time I think about what happened, it pains me even more."  
  
"I know my son, I know. But you'll always have me here with you, and you have your friends too, despite what your father says."  
  
Thunder let out a tiny smile. "Yeah, they're the greatest." He suddenly frowned. "Um…did dad say anything about…about earlier?"  
  
Lila sighed a little as though she was too pained to tell him. She looked him straight in the face. "He was a bit disturbed about it. He didn't think it was right for a commoner to be in love with you. However, I think he's changing for some reason. He doesn't seem to be acting like his normal self. When I left, he was talking to King Damien."  
  
Thunder's head lowered. "Probably trying to see what date would be best for my prearranged marriage," he said bitterly.  
  
The door suddenly opened and Thaitus stepped in, looking grim. Thunder cringed slightly afraid he was going to be smacked again. The king closed the door and walked over to them, and stared down at his son, frowning slightly. "On the contrary," he said softly. "I haven't been thinking of a date for your marriage."  
  
Thunder blinked and stared up at him, intrigued. The king continued. "King Damien and I have been talking. With everything happening, and with what happened to you, and with the way Bianca felt, we decided…it was best to call of the wedding."  
  
"What?" Thunder asked. He didn't want to get his hopes up high, nor did he want to act immaturely before them by doing back flips in the room.  
  
"We've called the wedding off. Princess Bianca had spoken to her father earlier. She feels she doesn't deserve you."  
  
This surprised Thunder greatly. He wasn't sure what to make of it. And then all the sudden, before he could celebrate any further, he had a strange feeling that something terrible was about to happen.  
  
  
  
Shades and Ryo were searching everywhere for their comrades. They noticed right away the Roman soldiers were no longer attacking them, and that the animals that had been bloodthirsty were back to normal. Ryo saw thousands of wolves heading away back to the forests where they had come from. Blaze nor the mysterious black wolf Rekino had spoke of, were nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Where could they be?" Ryo muttered.  
  
"Flash is close by," Shades spoke up, as her symbol, a question mark appeared in her forehead.  
  
"How can you tell?" Ryo asked her.  
  
"I can sense her," the Warrior of Ataxia replied. "This way." She stepped carefully through some broken debris, and then leapt over a fallen car. Ryo followed suit. Once they got out into the middle of the deserted street, they heard the voice of the enemy they were fighting.  
  
  
  
A half-mile away from the castle was Flash, still in her transformed appearance. At her right side was Blaze, and on her left side was Hawk. Blaze's crystal was glowing madly, and Hawk's eyes had changed from yellow to blood red. They could all hear the announcement, and that fueled Flash's anger even more as she listened to it.  
  
"May I have your attention, citizens of Germany?"  
  
Everyone in the hotel room gasped when they heard the voice of Borya. Flash stopped on the outskirts of the city and growled. Ryo and Shades looked towards the German castle. Out of instinct, all of them closed their eyes. What they saw was the Roman king standing in the throne room with a whip held in his hands. His face with in a permanent smile of a mad man.  
  
"As some of you might have known, my forces have stopped attacking you. It is due to the fact that my powers have been…demolished, you could say," The Roman king frowned, "I'm making a proposition as of now. In this room, I hold two prized gems that could destroy or save many lives." Borya snapped his fingers and the images of Hana and Rekino tied up appeared in everyone's mind.  
  
"Rekino!" Ryo screamed out.   
  
Rekino was hanging from the ceiling of the throne room by her hands. Hana was right beside her, in the same position. They weren't in any kind of armor or sub-armor, just their regular clothes, which seemed to be hanging onto their bodies like little pieces of fabric. If one was to look closely, you could see that both were bleeding profusely. The bone in Rekino's ankle had made its way through her skin. Blood poured from the wound on Hana's head.  
  
"Now, you have one of two option, brave mystical warriors," Borya announced, "One, you can either stop fighting and spare your friends life, in turn giving me complete rule over Germany and Rome. Or two, keep fighting, which will result in the torture and or death of," He strode over to Hana and rose her head up by the chin and used his other hand to do the same with Rekino, "these two lovely ladies."  
  
Borya drew out his whip, "Let me give you a small demonstration with will happen if you don't meet with my demands, young fighters."  
  
The air around the others grew stale. Borya smirked and cracked his whip. It broke into two pieces, each one wrapping around Rekino and Hana's body. A pulse of dark energy came out of the ends and started electrocuting Hana and Rekino. The Lady of Wildfire clinched her teeth from the pain, not able to let out a scream. Hana's head flew back as her shrill of pain bounced in their minds. Her hair flying in all different directions made it seem like the girls were wearing capes.  
  
Thunder's head snapped up immediately as his eyes suddenly darkened. Lila had a hand to her mouth, and Thaitus' fists were clenched at his sides. But no one in that room was angrier than Thunder. He was breathing deeply, his symbol of a lightning bolt glowing brightly in his forehead, flashing on and off, and increasing in luminance. He could barely see or think straight. Outside, dark storm clouds had suddenly gathered, lightning flashed and cracked through the air, sometimes coming out in bolts, causing the people to scream and seek shelter, if there was any shelter left.  
  
King Thaitus and Queen Lila stared in horror at their son. They had seen him like this once before, and remembered what had happened then. Would it happen again?  
  
In the hallway, Scorpio was also pissed. His symbol, water droplets was pulsating through his forehead, nearly giving him a headache, but he didn't care. His powers seemed to mix with Thunder's and it started to rain outside heavily, creating a deadly thunderstorm outside.   
  
Sage was feeling everything that was happening to Hana, and he could barely hold off the pain as his kanji of Wisdom flashed brightly across his head. He had to get to her, even though she was pissed at him, he had to help her, and set things right. There was no way in hell that Borya was taking her away from him. He might not be able to have her as a girlfriend, but Thunder didn't deserve to lose her either, and he would damned if that happened. He left the room, and ran into Rowen, whose own eyes were flashing angrily.  
  
"Rowen."  
  
"We have to get to them!" Rowen said angrily as his kanji of Life shined on his forehead.  
  
Scorpio met them out in the hall. "I can't believe that son of a bitch would do that to them!"  
  
"Believe it," Sage said dryly. "We need to get there to them! Hana and Rekino need our help."  
  
"Right," Scorpio agreed. But he frowned. Who would stay with the royals? And then suddenly they heard a loud roar in Thunder's room, and a startled cry from the queen. The three of them threw the door opened and watched with widened eyes as a large red panther leapt out the window, leaving the king and queen holding onto each other, staring wide-eyed out the broken window.  
  
  
  
Ryo and Shades were also pissed now. Ryo had summoned his full armor, and the heat built up so much around him, that Shades had to back away a few feet. If she hadn't been so angry, she would have felt like she was next to Flash who was getting ready to start a campfire. Her brown eyes were narrowed with anger, and she hurried along toward the castle, not caring if Ryo was keeping up or not. She was going to strangle the king of Rome with her bare hands.  
  
Ryo was beyond pissed. No one hurt his little sister and got away with it. He leapt over cars like a deer, nearly knocking down people who scrambled to get out of his way. Little did he realize, that a red panther was running before him, heading toward the castle, before it suddenly disappeared.  
  
  
  
Borya was smirking as he laughed at the two Guardians. "Soon, it'll be all over for you, Warrioress, your friends will abandon you, and I will reclaim this kingdom as my own!"  
  
Rekino cracked open an eye and glared at him. "Fuck you!"   
  
Borya chuckled. "Such ill language for one so young. You need to be taught a lesson!"  
  
"Fuck off!" Rekino snapped at him.  
  
"Insolent girl!" Borya raged in anger. He drew his whip, and cracked it in the air, and held it up, reading to strike her. And then suddenly he let out a scream of pain and dropped the burning whip to the floor, his eyes widened. "What the…?"  
  
"Touch one part on their body, or even a hair on their head, and I'll fuck you up so badly, you'll wish you had died the moment you were born," said a cold voice laced with anger.  
  
The two Guardians weakly lifted their heads to see past the evil king, as he turned around, and stared in horror at Flash.   
  
"Y...you!" he managed to spit out. "You…changed…but how?!"  
  
Flash's eyes narrowed even more. Her blondish white hair still continued to blow behind her, her eyes were flashing ice blue, and her symbol flashed almost too brightly on her forehead. Fire danced around her feet, but it did not harm her, in fact it looked as if it was protecting her.  
  
"Never mind that!" Flash snapped. "Now, you have two choices. One: you release my friends and don't suffer, or Two: I let a couple of hungry wolves torture you, before my friends and I finish you off!"


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Disclaimer: Lala! Yes, we own all! Sue us, go ahead! Cause I'm speaking of our own characters you know! Try and prove we don't own our own characters, the Lady Guardians, the Warriors, the kings and queens, and the wolves! Go ahead! I dare you!   
Unexpected Consequences  
Chapter 18**  
  
  
  
  
  
At the moment two large wolves suddenly appeared on either side of Flash; one white and the other black, the white being slightly larger than the black wolf. Both wolves circled around Borya as they would circle a prey, their eyes gleaming, and their fangs bore.  
  
Hana's eyes widened. She had seen Blaze attack before, but who was the new wolf? For a moment she forgot about her pain, watching with wide eyes at this.  
  
Rekino's mouth had nearly dropped. "Hawk," she whispered, and then grimaced in pain. Her injury was beginning to hurt her worse now, and she felt she could barely keep consciousness.   
  
Borya's eyes widened as he stiffened. He had never seen wolves this size before, and they looked as if they could just swallow him in one bite. He tried backing away, but the white wolf suddenly bit him in the middle of his back, making him scream and leap forward where the black one bit him in the chest. He screamed in pain, and tried to remain still. The girl had been right, he realized. These two wolves were going to torture him. He had to think of something and fast.  
  
And then suddenly a large red panther jumped in through the window, landing right before them all. The two wolves did not turn around, nor back away from their prey, nor did Flash take her eyes off Borya for a moment.  
  
Hana, however, took notice of the panther. She could see the familiar light blue eyes of the panther, the eyes she had fallen in love with. "Thunder," she gasped weakly, before letting her head drop to her chest.  
  
Borya stared at Thunder now as he tried to keep his eyes focused on the two wolves. "Y...you've changed too," he whispered, his voice betraying him. It was hard to remain brave anymore.   
  
Thunder roared at him angrily, ready to just pounce on him and rip him to shreds.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, Scorpio, Rowen, and Sage had left the royals at the hotel as they headed back to Thaitus castle. Rowen had urged the king not to send soldiers with them, as they'd be able to handle this, and in the end the king of Germany had agreed, and they had watched as the three teenagers in armor hurried out the door. They ran down the streets, and soon caught up with Ryo and Shades. Together the five of them set off for the castle, and in no time, they too leapt down into the throne room, surrounding Borya, their weapons drawn and poised for battle.  
  
"Well," Borya said, suddenly smirking. "It looks like you're all here!"   
  
"Save it!" Sage yelled at him. "You're going down for all the suffering you caused! For the harm you caused to Thunder and his family, to the harm of my partner in arms, to everything else you've done!"  
  
"Do you really think you can stop me?" Borya sneered.   
  
"Not only can we stop you, but we'll make you regret doing everything you've ever done!" Shades snapped.  
  
Ryo lifted his burning eyes toward his sister who had fallen unconscious. Anger increased within his veins once again and he lifted his burning eyes toward Borya. "I'm going to enjoy watching you suffer," he said coldly.  
  
Borya smirked, "Is that so, young warriors?" He strode over to the two Lady Guardians and stood in between them, "Do you think that for a second I wouldn't hesitate to kill these two girls?" Borya held out his hand, "This is the time to make your choices. Stop and they live. Fight and they die."  
  
"You wouldn't dare!" Rowen shouted. He reached behind his back and grabbed an arrow, loading it in his bow, "Chances are the minute you hurt them, everyone will be on your ass faster than white on rice."  
  
"Hm, we'll see about that," Borya grabbed Rekino and Hana's hand and sent the same pulse of energy through the girls bodies.  
  
"SHIT!" Rekino pulled up on her chains as she tried to take the pain, but it was just too much.  
  
Hana's mouth opened, but she couldn't get out a sound. She kicked her legs trying to hit Borya, but she missed. She was biting on her bottom lip so hard she drew blood.  
  
Borya saw that the wolves were ready to attack him again. He stopped his attack, "I don't think so. The minute you move, they die."  
  
Hana lifted her head to look up at everyone. She managed a small smile. She looked over at Rekino and saw her leader was unconscious, "Get out of here! Go now! Forget about us!"  
  
Sage drew out his no datchi and looked at Hana sympathetically, "I can't do that. You're my guardian, partner in arms, and friend. There's no way I'm letting you die!"  
  
"No…" Hana shook her head back and forth. Her eyes fell upon Thunder's light blue ones. She nodded towards him, "Please Thunder, leave. It's not too late to—" Hana's words were cut short as another energy ball flew towards her at lighting speed. The magic hit her in the back and she passed out due to the power difference.  
  
"Oh my, look at what we have here," Borya announced, "Look at what you did to my prisoner."  
  
Out of the shadows, Alina stepped forward and stood at Borya's side. Her face looking like she could kill, and her staff ready to do whatever she command, "She was getting on my nerves." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked at the warriors and saw the prince, "Well, we're in the midst of a bunch of commoners, a whore, and a would be prince. How delightful. You see," Alina raised her staff and pointed the bottom, which was extremely sharp, at Hana's neck, "She's going to die in about…right now."  
  
Something inside Thunder must have snapped. One moment he had been cowering slightly in fear at the sight of Alina, and then when he heard had the words, and saw that Hana was in terrible danger, he didn't even realize what he was doing. He suddenly leapt over Scorpio and Rowen's heads in one clear shot and knocked Alina down on her back, sending them both flying away from Hana. There was a scream from Alina, and a shout of curses from Borya.  
  
Thunder began to attack the queen viciously as she screamed in terror and in pain, trying to get the red panther off her.   
  
"No more!" Borya suddenly yelled as he drew up his whip again. "This time, they die!"   
  
Flash jerked her head toward him and surrounded him with a wall of fire, one he could not penetrate. She nodded toward Rowen and Ryo, and the two quickly got the Lady Ronin Guardians down.  
  
Sage's lips trembled when he saw the condition of his partner in arms. He was about to sob right then and there. Shades shook her head at him. "There's no time for pity! We've got to get out of here!"  
  
"She's right," Scorpio said.   
  
"Give my partner to me," Sage said to Rowen through tears. "I'm taking her out of here."  
  
Rowen nodded and handed Hana to him, and the Ronins of Wildfire and Halo left through the window. Blaze looked at Hawk. '_Go with them and protect them._'  
  
The black wolf immediately leapt out the window to follow them, as instructed.  
  
Borya was trying to think of how to get out of this mess, when the only conclusion he could come to was to jump over the fire. But when he tried, the fire suddenly sprang up higher, keeping him trapped there.  
  
Alina was still screaming in terror and pain. Thunder had already tore deep gashes within her arms, and though he wanted to kill her right then and there, he held himself back. Rowen made his way over to them, and stared down at Alina, cocking an arrow at her. "Do you surrender?"  
  
"Never!" Alina spat out in. This resulted in Thunder tearing her skin up even more, and one pissed off white wolf baring its enormous fangs down at her.   
  
"I don't think they like that answer," Shades said coldly.  
  
"Yeah," Scorpio chimed in. "My friend looks pretty pissed, and he might change his mind about not killing you."  
  
"You can hear him?" Alina asked, her eyes widening.  
  
"No, but I can feel he wants to kill you for what you've done."  
  
"Maybe he should kill you," Flash said, crossing her arms. "After all, a whore like you doesn't deserve to live."  
  
"You're the whore," Alina muttered.  
  
"Oh, ho! I like this," Flash retorted. "The queen of sluts who goes around forcing their way into innocent boys' pants, and dresses like a cheap two cent hooker, is calling me a whore. Ain't that just peachy? Well, let's define whore shall we? A whore is a person who goes around trying to get a leg off anybody and anything. A person who dresses accordingly, revealing parts of body that should never be exposed to outsiders other than spouses. Besides next time you go through a dictionary, look up whore and see if you find my picture there. You won't."  
  
Alina glared at her despite her intense pain. She could think of nothing to say at all.   
  
"Now surrender or I get fire happy," Flash warned them both.  
  
Borya and Alina had little choice.  
  
  
  
Ryo and Sage arrived at the hotel with Rekino and Hana in their arms. Thaitus, Lila, Damien, Bianca, Annelise were waiting in the kitchen when the two warriors barged in. Lila's face fell when he saw the condition of Hana. Thaitus' eyes widened when Sage brought Hana to the couch. Ryo's eyes were filling with tears as he laid Rekino down on the couch.  
  
Lila ran over to Sage's side to help him with Hana. Her eyes fell upon the young Japanese girl, "What are you going to do?" She reached out to touch the wound on Hana's head, and noticed that the young girls blonde hair wasn't even visible due to all of the blood.   
  
Sage's eye spilled over with tears, "I have to get her into armor. The power of both Halo's is better than the power of one."  
  
"You better do something quick!" Ryo screamed, "I don't think that Rekino can last much longer."  
  
Everyone's attention turned to Rekino, who was in Ryo's arms. The Lady of Wildfire's breathing was so shallow and soft that you couldn't tell she was breathing unless you looked closely. Thaitus let his head fall. Maybe if he'd listened to everyone, then nothing would've happened.  
  
Sage let his violet eyes follow from Rekino back to Hana_. I've got to think of something before one of them dies! Hana can't armor up. She's too weak…unless._ "Kayura! We need your help!"  
  
"Who's Kayura?" Bianca asked. A blinding light in the room answered her as a woman of Japanese decent appeared in the room. She wore a traditional purple kimono and held some kind of ancient staff.  
  
"What is it, Sage of Halo?" Kayura asked. She looked around the room and noticed the injured Lady Guardians, "What has happened here?"  
  
"No time for questions, Kay," Sage interrupted, "Can you get Hana into her armor? If I heal her while she's in armor, the healing affect will be greater!"  
  
Kayura smiled at Sage, "Might as well, Halo. Remember: don't let her stay in the armor to long. The minute I transform her, start healing, otherwise, being in armor could kill her."  
  
"Then," King Damien interrupted the two, "Is it a good idea to put her in the armor? If she can't survive while in it."  
  
"Hana won't die!" Sage screamed, "She's stronger than that. She wants to live for the people she loves. Including Thunder!" He pointed at Lila and Thaitus, "This must be done. Kayura, do it now."  
  
"All right," Kayura said. She raised the staff of the Ancients high in the air. She chanted in Ancient Japanese as Hana's clothes disappeared and she was surrounded in swirls of cherry blossom. The cherry blossoms started radiating a green glow as they landed on Hana's body. Kayura snapped her fingers and the pieces of the flower that had dropped on Hana covered the girl in her armor.  
  
"Now, Sage!" Ryo screamed. He wanted Sage to hurry and heal Hana so they could help his sister, "I don't think Rekino's breathing anymore!" He put a hand over Rekino's mouth and felt a light gasp of breath.  
  
Sage had immediately started healing Hana when his counterpart armored up. He could feel his kanji glowing on his forehead as he could see Hana's as well. He had almost started to give up hope until he heard her grunt and her eyes flitter open. He couldn't contain himself as he hugged her and smiled.  
  
"Sage?" Hana asked. She raised an eyebrow and looked up to see Kayura looming over her, "Holy Mary Mother of God! Am I dead?"  
  
Kayura laughed, "No, Lady Halo, you're very much alive thanks to your counterpart. He and Ryo brought you and Rekino back to the hotel – "  
  
"Oh shit! I've got the help the others!" Hana bolted up from the couch only to be stopped by a sharp pain in her ribs.  
  
"I will not permit you to leave, Hana," Thaitus ordered, "As king, you follow my rules."  
  
"Fuck the rules!" Hana shouted, "Ain't not way in hell I'm letting my friends and the person I – I'll just stop right there." She looked around the room and saw that Ryo was holding her leader, "Rekino! Sage, we've got to help her."  
  
"Right," Sage looked towards Kayura, "Could you help us?"  
  
Kayura sighed as she joined Sage and Hana, "Both of you know that I'm not a healer, but I can help with the healing process."  
  
"Okay!" Hana said. She joined hands with Sage as both of them laid hands on Rekino's body. The leader of the Lady Guardians started to glow a dark hue of green as the powers from both of the Halo's healed her body. Kayura had used the Ancient's staff to increase the rate of the healing process. When they were done, Sage and Hana stepped back, but Rekino didn't wake up.  
  
"Is she going to be okay?" Ryo asked.  
  
"Don't worry, Wildfire, your sister will be fine. Now, I must leave you three here. Flash and the others have imprisoned Borya and Alina, and will be arriving shortly. You have freed the country, young ones. Congratulations," Kayura turned around and vanished into thin air.  
  
Hana sat down on the couch and powered down into her torn and shredded street clothes. Her emotions threatening to release at any minute. She took a glance at Rekino and her heart broke, but looking at Sage made everything come out. She let out a choked sob and buried her face in her hands. Sage looked down and knelt down beside her.  
  
"Hana?"  
  
Hana's eyes, which were full of tears, rose to look into his violet ones, "Sage, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say and do all of those awful things to you."  
  
Sage nodded that it was okay, and, with happiness in her heart, Hana wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his chest as she cried. She was so tired and weak that she fell asleep in that position. Sage smiled lightly and tried to run his hands through her hair, but the dried blood made it impossible. Before Sage could do anything to move her, Flash and the others came into the door.  
  
Everyone looked toward them; a bit surprised they had come in so suddenly. They hadn't expected the battle to be over within hours. Was it really true they had won? Thaitus was almost too afraid to ask. He saw his son was now back to normal. He was staring at Hana and Rekino sadly.  
  
Without speaking to anyone, he made his way over to him or her. First, he healed Rekino of all of her injuries. When she had been healed, Ryo thanked him over and over, and then took his sister to get some well-deserved rest. Then Thunder turned to Hana. More tears filled his eyes again, and he healed her of her pain. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but now was not a good time. It would have to wait. No one said anything though, when after he had put her in a healing sleep, he carried her to her room to rest.  
  
Thaitus sighed as he sat down. "Well, now what?"  
  
Flash looked at him. "You're gonna have to get some major cleaning done. Borya and Alina did a lot of damage to your empire."  
  
Thaitus growled, his brows furrowing. "That doesn't surprise me any."  
  
Flash rubbed her forehead and swayed a bit, but managed to catch herself in time. Shades and Scorpio frowned deeply at her. 

"Hey, are you okay?" Shades asked.  
  
Flash tried to speak, but she suddenly felt dizzy. And then suddenly she passed out right there on the floor. If not for Scorpio catching her suddenly, she would have hit her head pretty hard on the floor. Lila and Annelise gasped, Bianca stared with surprise, and the two kings stood up.  
  
"Is she all right?" Damien asked, staring at the girl. He had noticed her hair color was back to normal now, but there was one slight change to her. A part of her bangs underneath was pure blond, while the rest of her hair was all white. It was truly remarkable.   
  
Scorpio nodded. "She'll be okay. She's just exhausted."  
  
Sage approached him almost timidly. "Scorpio, let me take her to rest, please."  
  
Scorpio stared at him for a few moments, and then handed her to him. He watched as Sage turned around and carefully left the room with the sleeping girl.  
  
Shades sighed heavily as she sat down on the couch, rubbing her temples. She was back in her regular clothing, a dark green t-shirt, and blue jeans with a hole in the left knee. Although she enjoyed fighting she was glad it was over for once. Now maybe things could go back to normal.  
  
Scorpio sat down beside her, feeling tired and incredibly thirsty. After a few minutes, he went to the kitchen and poured himself a tall glass of ice-cold water, and drank it as if he had had nothing to drink for days.  
  
Annelise stared at him in surprise. "Are you that thirsty?"  
  
Scorpio lowered his cup and stared at her. "I have this condition where I must have water every single hour."  
  
"I see," she replied, nodding her head. "I'm sorry to hear that."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Thaitus stood up. "As much as I'd rather stay here and see to my son, I have duties." Everyone looked at him, wondering what he was going to say now. Rowen had disappeared into Rekino's room, as Ryo had come out, and now the bearer of Wildfire, and the Current, and Ataxia Warriors were staring at the king.  
  
"Dear?" Lila stared at her husband, wondering just what he was going to say. She gasped a little as he drew her into a hug, and stared deep in her eyes.   
  
"I must apologize for my behavior. It was ruthless and out of character," he told her sincerely. "I want to make it up to you and to our son. I will clean up the mess that I have started, and I think I will have a talk with our son once the time is right."  
  
Lila's eyes misted over and she hugged him fiercely.   
  
Ryo stepped forward, making his presence known. "We'll do our best to help you, your majesty."  
  
Thaitus stared at him and nodded. "I thank you. I learned one thing from my son. You can't judge a human being by their status. I have learned a lot of things during the past few days. But now I must see to my kingdom. Lila, please stay here with our son until I send for you both."  
  
Lila nodded. "Yes, dear." She gave him a gentle kiss, and he returned it, then he stood up.  
  
Damien stood up as well. "We must depart ourselves. My kingdom needs me, and Bianca wanted to see about getting herself together, and plan for another marriage for the neighboring prince of France."  
  
Ryo smiled. "I'm sure everything will be just fine when she does."  
  
"Thank you," Bianca said.  
  
Thaitus, and the royals of Italy then bid their good-byes, and left the hotel rooms.  
  
Scorpio sighed deeply. Now perhaps things would start to come together, and maybe within a few days they would all be able to go home.  
  
  
  
Rowen was relieved when Rekino was better. They had shared a few moments together, enjoying one another's company. But now Rekino wanted to check on a few people. She kissed Rowen, and left him, promising to return to him when she was done. Rowen watched her, smiling as she left. How much he loved her, he realized. And he hoped nothing would ever separate them. He would simply go mad if they were.   
  
  
  
Sage was in the room with Flash as he watched her sleep. He watched as the younger girl's chest rose and fell at a steady pace. Tears started forming in his violet eyes as he took her hand and knelt down beside her bed.  
  
"I don't know if you can hear me, Flash, but there's something I've been meaning to tell you," Sage said softly, but loud enough for someone to hear, "I've been thinking about some things lately, and I wasn't sure if I could tell you to your face, but sense your asleep, it won't hurt to practice," He clasped his other hand around hers as well, "After everything that has happened in the last few months, I've had these unnerving thoughts about you. The way you talk, the way you walk, and everything about you I've come to love. Yeah, you heard me. I love you, Flash. After you and Thunder left Japan, I couldn't get you off my mind, and I know Thunder was on Hana's. I knew she was in love with him, but I didn't want to believe it. When she blurted it out after you left, realization finally struck me and I knew that I couldn't have her."  
  
The soft sound of her breathing was the only thing that answered him back. He removed one of his hands and lightly caressed her cheek, "But I realized that too late. By the time Hana announced that she loved Thunder, you had already taken my heart. I didn't know how to tell you sooner. I was afraid of being rejected. I know that I may seem like a player, but, to tell you the truth, I don't actually like talking to girls. The only reason I talk to you and the other's is because I've known y'all. You see, my parents use to dress me up as a girl when I was younger, so that kinda ruled out all of the fun for me," He chuckled a little, "Yeah, Hana got a kick out of that when I told her."  
  
A figure stopped beside the doorway when Sage had started talking about his feelings. The person raised a hand to her mouth to hide back a chuckle. When the moment was right, she would intervene.  
  
Sage sighed softly, "I wish I would've told you sooner so that I could actually call you mine. I would've been the luckiest guy in the world if I'd had a chance with you. Sometimes I sit and think what it would be like to have you as my girlfriend, ya know. You're beautiful, smart, and sexy, Flash, and I just wish I would've gotten to have you. I'm just glad that I got to tell you while you were sleeping," He removed his hand from her cheek, "Well, that's my pep talk, see ya chief."  
  
"Hate to break it to ya, Sage, but I heard everything," Flash groaned as she sat up in the bed, "Honestly Sage, you've gotten to be so corny."  
  
"Gee thanks," Sage smiled lightly, "I was trying to be romantic and all, but seems that's not enough for you."  
  
Flash cocked her head to the side, "Are you going to kiss me or sit here and talk all day?"  
  
The Ronin of Halo's eyes widened, but he quickly smirked as he leaned closer to Flash. When their lips were an inch away from one another, a voice made them stop.  
  
"Okay Mary Tyler Moore, don't rush it," Rekino said from the doorway, "Seriously, I didn't think that you'd be such a horny teenager."  
  
"For the last time, I am NOT Mary Tyler Moore!" Sage shouted and glared at his best friend's sister.  
  
"Rekino. Out," Flash ordered.  
  
Rekino blinked her amethyst eyes and held up her hands, "I'm going, I'm going. Sheesh, I love y'all too. I'm glad you're alright too," She shrugged and walked out of the room to go and check on Hana  
  
  
  
Thunder was kneeling beside the bed that Hana slept on. He had never left her side. He had heard her words earlier when she had blurted out her feelings for him. He had said nothing then, and now he wished he had. Tears ran down his cheeks, and he quickly brushed them away. He didn't want to cry, but it was hard to keep his tears away. He lowered his head.  
  
"I'm sorry, Hana," he whispered. "I wanted to tell you how I felt, but I was too afraid. I didn't know how to say it. With everything happening, and with my father putting so much pressure on me, and with what…Alina had done, I couldn't bear myself. I was ashamed of myself, and I had no idea you loved me. No girl ever told me that before. Sure my female friends love me, but not the way you said you do. I always had a hard time with girls. After I was separated from my real parents and raised by peasants on a traveling boat, I was never around girls. My surrogate mother was the only female I saw on that boat. And then when I was eight years old, I was taken to an all boys' military school. Again I saw no girls there, not even a woman. My grandmother was the first I had seen in about six years. It was hard for me to talk to girls. Flash, Shades, T-boz, and Chilie were the very first ones I talked to. Although Chilie flirted with me a few times."  
  
He took a deep breath and smiled weakly. "In a way when I saw you for the first time, you reminded me of her. If I hadn't known any better I would have sworn you were twins somehow. After I got to know you and the other Lady Guardians I began to open up more. I'm still shy, but I'm not so afraid of girls anymore. I have you and the others to thank for that."  
  
Thunder suddenly paused, tilting his head slightly toward the door. He had sensed someone standing there. He stared at the door for a few moments, as if waiting to see if the person would come in. Outside, Rekino hesitated. She had seen Thunder looking toward the door. Should she go in or just leave? She let out a sigh, not able to make up her mind.   
  
Thunder heard soft moaning and then turned his head back to Hana. She was opening her eyes up, and staring at him.   
  
"Thunder?" she said softly.  
  
He smiled at her. "How are you feeling?" he asked.  
  
"Much better, thanks to you," she said with a smile of her own. Thunder nodded, staring into her eyes. He never realized how beautiful she was. He gently brushed her hair out of her eyes, blushing as he did so. Hana was surprised. "Thunder?"  
  
"I heard you earlier, Hana," he said softly.  
  
Hana frowned deeply. Oh no, this was it. He was going to tell her he didn't love her, that he wasn't ready to start dating anyone, and that he had to marry that Bianca. She couldn't handle this. Okay, she'd be strong. She would handle this. "Oh?" she finally whispered.  
  
Thunder smiled shyly. "I never had a girl tell me that. Not the way you meant it. It took me by surprise actually."  
  
Hana blinked and looked at him, her eyebrows raised. "Why's that?" she asked.   
  
"Because…because I love you too," he confessed.  
  
Hana's eyes widened with surprise. "You…you do?"  
  
Thunder nodded and sat down beside her, staring into her eyes. "Yes, Hana. I do. I loved you for a while now. I was just too afraid to say anything."  
  
"You didn't have to be," she told him.  
  
"I know," he said. "I'm not afraid anymore."  
  
Hana stared into his eyes. "You're not?" she asked.  
  
"No, I'm not," he replied softly. To her surprise, and to his own surprise, he gently brought her close to him and kissed her lightly on the lips. Hana's heart pounded against her chest. She wrapped her arms around him and returned the kiss.  
  
Rekino smiled to herself, whispering, "About time." Then she left them alone, not bothering to interrupt them. 


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Disclaimer: It's really piss poor when people don't think the original characters don't belong to the fanfiction writer.  
Unexpected Consequences  
Chapter 19**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rekino's smile was a big as the Grand Canyon. She walked into the living room to see the others sitting down talking with Queen Lila. Her smile widened as she saw the queen. The Lady of Wildfire walked over happily and sat in Rowen's lap.  
  
"Okay Rekino, what are you smiling about?" Ryo asked as he looked at his sister.  
  
"Nothing at all!" Rekino replied, "I just seen the two sweetest things in my life."  
  
Shades raised an eyebrow, "What would that be?"  
  
Rekino smiled again as she told them what happened. About Sage telling Flash his true feelings and about Flash waking up afterwards. She even told about them when she interrupted them. Everyone cracked a smile at that. Then, she told them what Thunder had told Hana. She even mentioned the kiss. When she finished, Shades's eyes were wide.  
  
"Dear Lord," Shades said, "He actually kissed her?"  
  
"YES!" Rekino shouted, "It was so romantic!"  
  
Scorpio looked over at Rekino, "What fumes have you been sniffing?"  
  
"None!" She replied as her face fell. "If you guys don't believe me, I'll prove it to you. Be right back." Rekino got up from her seat on Rowen and went into her room. She dug through her bag and pulled out a Polaroid camera. She smirked; this was what she needed. She checked for film and then left her room. She went to check on Flash and Sage and saw that they were asleep holding one another. _Easy enough_. Rekino thought as she took the picture. Now, for Thunder and Hana.  
  
  
  
It had taken Josephine three hours to finally find her French friend. She parked at the airport and ran inside to see Amaya boarding one of the planes. She broke out in another run only to be crowded by people. She frowned; this wasn't going to be easy. She started walking through the crowd.  
  
"Scuse me. Pardon me. Coming through!" Josephine kept trying to get out of the crowd. She finally decided that being nice wasn't going to get her anywhere. She pushed people out of her way to get to the docking area. She ran past the flight attendant.  
  
"You don't have a ticket!" The woman yelled.  
  
Josephine stopped, smirked, and gave the woman her 'traffic' finger, "This is your ticket! Shove it up your ass!" She turned around and ran straight onto the plane. She looked around and didn't see Amaya and decided to go into first class. When she was at the door, the pilot announced that the plane would be leaving. She panicked and ran into first class to find her friend.  
  
"Ma'am, you need to sit down. The plane will be taking off shortly," The flight attendant spoke up.  
  
"I need to find my friend. She's not supposed to be on this plane!" Josephine said.  
  
"I'm sorry. You'll have to wait until we take off," The flight attendant replied coolly.  
  
The Lady of Hardrock frowned. She had to think of a way to get Amaya off this plane, but how? "Um, where are we going?"  
  
"To France."  
  
"The hell you say! Stop this plane! I'm pregnant!" Josephine shouted. Immediately, the pilot ran inside the first class department, having heard the passenger's outburst, and Amaya stood up in her seat.  
  
"Josephine?" Amaya asked, "What in the name John Paul are you doing here?"  
  
The pilot looked at the woman with ash blue hair, "Excuse me ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the plane. If you're in such a condition, the plane will not take off."  
  
Josephine sighed, "I didn't want to be on this plane in the first damn place, dude! I came in here to get my friend and take her home!"  
  
Amaya sat back down, "I'm not going back home, Jo. I suggest you leave the plane."  
  
"Well tough shit! I ain't movin until you get your French ass out the door!" The Lady of Hardrock crossed her arms stubbornly, "And don't even think about calling security. I can and will file for harassment!"  
  
After thirty minutes of waiting and delaying the flight, Amaya finally went with Josephine. The two Lady Guardians got off the plane and headed towards their vehicles. Amaya sighed as she was walking beside Josephine.  
  
"What's wrong, Frenchie?" Josephine asked as she wrapped an arm around her shoulder.  
  
"I don't want to go back home," Amaya said softly, "Kento really hurt my feelings this time."  
  
"Ahst, listen, don't make me kick your ass, 'Mya. If you have to know, Kento almost cried when you left. He really didn't mean to say it. We kinda share the trait of speaking before thinking."  
  
The Lady of Torrent smirked, "Yeah, you more so than him."  
  
Josephine stopped and put both of her hands on her hip while Amaya kept walking to her car, "Hey! I resent that remark!"  
  
  
  
Rekino walked down the hall to Hana's room and stopped outside the door. She sighed and cursed under her breath. They were awake and chatting about something. This was going to be harder than she thought. She just listened and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike.  
  
Thunder sat on the edge of the bed staring at Hana, who was sitting against the headboard, while she played with her hair, "What are you doing?"  
  
"Braiding my hair. It's getting on my nerves," Hana said as she ran her fingers through her blonde, curly locks trying to get the tangles out, "I'm thinking about getting it cut. What do you think? Long or short?"  
  
Thunder smiled, "Whatever you decide, you'll still be beautiful," He traced his hand down her cheeks when her blush formed.  
  
The Guardian of Halo stopped messing with her hair and put her hand over his when he started caressing her cheek. She smiled lightly. Thunder shifted his position on the bed so he was closer to Hana, and she leaned forward to meet his lips. It wasn't long before Hana wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled Thunder closer to her body as they leaned further back on the bed. The Storm Warrior had never felt anything like this before, but he tried to remain calm. Hana moved one of her hands to Thunder's side and helped him onto the bed. His elbows supporting his weight as he hovered above her, their lips still connected.  
  
_For someone who's never kissed a girl, he's damn good at it!_ Hana thought to herself. She ran a hand under the back of his shirt and up his back muscles. She felt him tense a little under her touch. Probably from the Alina experience, she figured. She didn't want to rush him or scare him, so she lightly ran her tongue along his bottom lip. Thunder's body started reacting strangely. He wasn't afraid; he actually liked the feeling. He slowly opened his mouth and their tongues touched. Both of them felt a jolt go through their bodies. Hana pressed Thunder's body against her and the kiss deepened. Neither of them wanted to stop, but if they didn't, something would happen that both of them wanted, but was wrong.  
  
Rekino saw the perfect time to take the picture while they were preoccupied with one another. She quickly moved in front of the door and took the picture. She forgot about her Polaroid camera being so loud and she inwardly cursed. This wasn't going to be pretty.  
  
Hana and Thunder separated and looked towards the door. Hana's lips were a bit swollen from the kiss. Her eyes caught sight of Rekino and her eyes flashed angrily. Thunder was just shocked all together at the Lady Guardian's actions. A blush crept over his cheeks. Both of them looked down and saw the camera. This enraged Hana even more.  
  
Rekino quickly put her hands behind her back when she had forgot about the camera. She smiled innocently and waved at them, "Hiya! I was just, uh, passing through and I though, uh, well…"  
  
"Rekino," Hana managed to get out, "When I get up, you're SO dead!"   
  
"Gotta go! I think I hear Rowen calling for me! See ya!" The Lady of Wildfire turned around quickly and left.  
  
Hana's eyes widened, "COME BACK HERE, REKINO!" She struggled under Thunder's body weight; he seemed to not be moving. She looked at him with angry eyes, "I'm gonna kill her."  
  
Thunder quickly silenced her with a small kiss, "Don't leave."  
  
"I won't. I'll come back right after I beat her ass!" She started to move her body underneath, but she moved the wrong way. Her hips brushed against his for a moment and they both blushed, "Sorry."  
  
"It's okay," Thunder smiled and ran a hand through her hair, "I just want you to stay here with me."  
  
Hana's heart seemed to stop for a moment when she saw his smile. She couldn't be mad at him nor resist his command. She gave a rather seductive smirk and decided to stay as she kissed him hard on the lips.  
  
  
  
Rekino ran into her bedroom and sat on the bed, breathing hard. She held the two pictures in her hand and smirked. She walked out of the room and back to where everyone else was waiting for her.  
  
"Okay, Rekino," Shades said immediately. "What were you doing back there?"  
  
Rekino smirked again, still playing around with her Polaroid camera. "Just getting some memorable photos," she said.  
  
Ryo groaned. "Don't tell me you were…" He shook his head, trailing off. He should have known Rekino would do something like that. "I can't believe you."  
  
"What?" Rekino asked innocently.  
  
"Hana's gonna kill you later, you know," Ryo said with his own smirk.  
  
Rekino only smiled and sat down on the couch next to him. "She'll thank me later, trust me."  
  
"Whatever," Ryo said.  
  
Rekino looked around now. "Where's the queen?"  
  
"Oh," Shades said as she picked up a book. "Scorpio took her out to get her something to eat as all the king's guards are busy cleaning up the mess caused by Borya and Alina."  
  
"I hope he remembers to bring back some for us," Ryo said.  
  
"He will."  
  
Rekino sat back against the couch with her eyes closed. Her mind drifted off toward Rowen. She had come so close to losing him that day. She thought about how angry she had been at him when she had discovered he had not want to marry her. Now she was beginning to think she knew why he had said he hadn't wanted to. It wasn't because he didn't love her. It was because he was afraid. Perhaps they were not ready for such a commitment yet. After all, they both wanted to finish high school and go to college. Rekino knew she wanted to be a doctor, and Rowen wanted to be a professor. What profession he would teach, she had no clue, but she imagined it would be something that had to do with the solar system or maybe a chemistry teacher. (Winter: CHEMISTRY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL! 6.02 x 10²³…Ahh!)  
  
She suddenly felt someone sitting beside her, and rubbing her shoulders. She began to relax more and leaned into the person giving her this massage. "Mmmmmmm."  
  
"You like this?" came a soft Brooklyn accent.  
  
"Uh huh," Rekino murmured softly as she leaned against Rowen more. Rowen smiled and pulled her close, and tilted her face to meet his, and kissed her lips.  
  
"Get a room," Shades said, not looking up from her book.  
  
"We do have a room," Rowen said. "We're just not using them yet."  
  
Shades didn't reply, but she did smirk.  
  
Ryo stood up. He was beginning to miss Mia and he wanted to know how Hiroshi was doing. He left the living room and went into the kitchen and took the phone off the hook. He paused for a moment. Uh oh. How was he going to get the operator to connect him to Japan when he couldn't speak German? He took a deep breath and looked down the hall. He really hated to interrupt Thunder, but what choice did he have? He had to know how they were doing. With a sigh he hung the phone back up and walked back through the living room and down the hall.  
  
He passed Flash's room and then came to Hana's room. He paused before the door, working up his courage. He took a deep breath and then knocked on the door.  
  
Hana was in the midst of making out with Thunder when they both heard the knock. She rolled her eyes in annoyance, but didn't stop. Neither did Thunder. His hands trailed smoothly along her back, caressing her in a most gentle way. The knocking came again, a bit more persistent. "Go away, Rekino!" Hana grumbled at the door. She went back to kissing Thunder.  
  
"It's not Rekino," came a familiar voice that made the two lovebirds stop assaulting each other's lips. They both looked toward the door.   
  
"Ryo?" Thunder said.  
  
"Yeah," Ryo's voice drifted through the door again. "Thunder, I need a favor of you."  
  
"Hold on," Thunder said.  
  
"Okay."  
  
Thunder looked toward Hana and smiled weakly. "Hopefully, this won't take long."  
  
Hana pouted. "No, stay here with me."  
  
Thunder smiled a bit more. "I'll be right back," he said, kissing her again. "I promise."  
  
Hana returned his kiss, wanting more of this, but she reluctantly let him go. Thunder got off from the bed and went to open the door as Hana sat up watching. "What is it, Ryo?"  
  
"Can you get me connected to Mia, Thunder?" Ryo asked, rather nervously. He hated to ask for things. "I can't speak German to get the operators to connect me to home."  
  
Thunder nodded and followed Ryo out of the room.   
  
Rekino looked up and smirked at Thunder the moment she saw him. She and Rowen were cuddled up on the couch. "So you finally parted from Blondie?"   
  
Thunder smirked back at her as he moved past the couch going toward the kitchen. "Only for a few minutes."  
  
Rekino grinned at him.   
  
In the kitchen, Thunder picked the phone up and began to dial a series of random numbers as Ryo watched from behind him. For a few moments everything was quiet, and then Thunder began to speak in the German language while Ryo was trying to figure out what he was saying to the operator on the other end. He blinked a few times, raised an eyebrow, scratched at one ear, blinked again, and kept staring with an odd expression.  
  
Finally Thunder became quiet again. A few minutes passed by as ringing could be heard through the receiver. Finally, Thunder switched back to the language Ryo knew and felt comfortable with.  
  
"Mia? Yeah, we're all fine. Yes, it has been quite a while. I can't stay on long. No, Ryo wants to talk with you. He asked me to get him connected with you. Sure, I will. Okay, here he is." Thunder handed the phone to Ryo who gave him a grateful look.  
  
"Thank you, Thunder."  
  
"You're welcome," Thunder said, and left the kitchen, heading back through the living room, and back to Hana.  
  
Mia was so glad to hear Ryo's voice after being separated from him who knew how long. She held Hiroshi in her arms, tears trailing down the side of her face, the cordless phone held in her right hand. "Ryo, I've missed you so much. I've been so worried about you and the others."  
  
"I know you have, Mia," Ryo's voice came back to her. "I've missed you too. I'm coming home as soon as I can."  
  
"I can't wait to see you."  
  
"I can't wait to see you either or our son," Ryo replied. Mia smiled down at Hiroshi. The baby was playing around with her fingers of her free hand, and glancing around curiously as his mother spoke on the phone. For the next hour or so, Ryo and Mia talked. Mia told Ryo about what had been happening so far, and Ryo told her what had happened over there. She had been so into talking with him, she didn't hear the front door opening up, and Josephine and Amaya walking in.  
  
The two Lady Ronin Guardians stared at Mia, and when they heard her say Ryo's name, they knew who she was talking to. Which reminded them they both had to talk with their own boyfriends.   
  
Amaya headed upstairs to Kento's room, practically holding her breath all the way as she did so. Josephine was right behind her, but she headed for Cye's room. She had to tell him of her pregnancy. She was only hoping Rekino wouldn't kill Cye for it.  
  
  
  
Cye was sitting on his bed, with his legs crossed, and staring down at his blue sheets, in shock. Josephine walked in the door and stood there looking at her fiancé. She stood there for about five minutes before breaking the silence, "Cye?"  
  
Cye's head snapped up and he looked towards the door, "I didn't hear you come in."  
  
Josephine smiled, "I noticed. So what were you thinking about?"  
  
"How do you know I was thinking about something?" Cye asked curiously but in a monotone voice.  
  
"Puh-lease! You have that 'lame brain, staring off into space, thinking about something that will change my life' look," She replied with a smirk, "So, what are you thinking about?"  
  
Cye looked back down at the sheets, "Two things," He looked back up at her, "Are you really pregnant?"  
  
Josephine walked over to the bed and sat down beside him, taking his hand, "Does that bother you?"  
  
"In some ways, yes, in some ways, no," He replied as he looked into her granite eyes.  
  
"Care to share then?" Josephine asked, "I mean, I just traveled over three hundred miles in three hours looking for your Guardian. So, I need some answers."  
  
Cye sighed, "The part that doesn't bother me is that we won't have to worry about passing down the armors. I'll have a son or a daughter, but the part that does bother me is when it is born, what if someone else attacks? Our child could be used for some sort of trap, and I'd hate for that to happen," Cye looked back down at the sheets again and clutched them tightly, "I couldn't stand that."  
  
"First of all, the future is never certain. Second of all, if anything does happen, you and I both know we will do anything to set things right. And you know that the others would help too, no questions asked," She lifted his face up by the chin and looked into his sea-green eyes, "I love you, Cye. That will _never_ change. Whatever the future brings, I'll be right here with you, no matter what and I know you'll do the same for me."  
  
"You know I would. I have no doubt that you'll be here for me and I for you. I also have no doubt that the others will stand behind us. The problem is the enemies' get worse and worse every time. Who knows what we could face in the future."  
  
"Whatever it is, you know for a fact that we'll send it's ass back where it came from," Josephine replied with a smirk, "Now, what was the other thing you were thinking about?"  
  
Cye looked back at the sheets, "Rekino."  
  
"Ooo, Understandable. She almost killed Ryo," Josephine replied, "Well, she'll have to kill two of y'all then."  
  
Cye raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well," Josephine started, "I ain't the only one with dough in the oven."  
  
Cye just looked at her with a strange expression, "Continue."  
  
Josephine sighed and gave him her Helen Keller hand expressions, "Think about it, Einstein. Why do you think Amaya's been so emotional? It ain't menopause, she's too young!"  
  
"Oh…my…God…" Cye stuttered, "Kento's gonna die."  
  
"Mmm hmm," Josephine squeaked, "Yep, pretty much."  
  
Cye shook his head, clearly stunned by what he had just heard. So what were they suppose to do in the meantime, and more importantly, how would Rekino react? The Ronin of Torrent grimaced. He had seen how Rekino was when Mia first became pregnant; he'd hate to see how she'd be when there were two pregnant. He suddenly stood up.  
  
Josephine raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I think I should see about some life insurance for both Kento and me now."  
  
  
  
Thunder had retreated back to Hana and they had spent the next hour cuddling. Hana had wanted to go further, but Thunder wasn't ready. For one, his upbringing to wait until marriage was strong, and his encounter with Alina made him more fearful of it. So they would wait until they were both ready.   
  
Hana looked at Thunder suddenly, the question weighing on her mind. She propped herself up one elbow, looking at him. "Thunder, there's something I have to ask you."  
  
Thunder turned his gaze at her. "Yes, what is it?"  
  
"I was wondering, since, your father seems to be better…will you be staying here, or will you go back?" Hana asked.  
  
Thunder frowned. "I want to go back, but I doubt they'll let me. Well, I know mom would, but my dad…"  
  
"Yeah, he's as stubborn as a mule."  
  
Thunder nodded.   
  
"Still it doesn't hurt to try and ask," Hana told him.  
  
"No, it doesn't. But…"  
  
"But what?"  
  
Thunder suddenly grabbed her and laid her under him, smirking just a bit. "I don't feel like leaving you just yet. I'm quite comfortable here."  
  
Hana smiled and just gave him a deep kiss.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile King Thaitus was getting things cleaned up around his country. Damages were estimated, and money was brought in to repair it. A couple of buildings that had not been destroyed were being temporarily used as homes for those who had lost his or hers in the war. Soldiers and guards were cleaning the damages up, men civilians were eager to help out.  
  
Blaze stood on a mountain peak, watching the scene. At his side was Hawk. Blaze knew that the damages done would take a long time to prepare. As much as he wanted to help them, he could not. For he knew if he used his powers, these humans would expect miracles to solve all of their problems anytime they had any. Still he had other things he had to attend to. He looked at Hawk.  
  
_'I must depart soon. But I thank you for all your help, my friend_.'  
  
The black wolf merely nodded his head, not speaking. But he did do a sort of bow to the white wolf. Blaze nodded his head once, and then vanished from the area, just as Hawk lifted his head, howled once, and then transformed into his hawk form, and flew away from the area.  
  
  
  
Ryo was smiling ear to ear as he walked back into the living room and sat on the chair, diagonal away from Shades. Rekino and Rowen were cuddled on the couch. Scorpio was looking at a book filled with different breeds of horses. It had surprised Rekino that the water boy would be more interested in horses than fish.   
  
"So did you call her?" Rekino asked her brother.  
  
"Yes," Ryo said as a bigger grin stretched across his face.  
  
"He keeps smiling like that, his entire face will get stretched out," Shades said as she turned a page in her book. Ryo only smirked at her.   
  
"So what do we do now?" Scorpio asked.  
  
"Well, since everything seems to be okay now, we just need to see about Thunder coming back with us, if he's allowed, and go home after that," Ryo said.  
  
"Easier said that done, Ryo," Rowen said.  
  
Ryo only nodded as Flash and Sage came out. Everyone immediately looked at the two. Sage cringed. "Whatever you think we did, we didn't do that. We just woke up!"  
  
"Uh huh," Rekino said.  
  
Flash smirked a bit. "That's all we did do. Though I kinda forgot I fell asleep next to Sage, and I shoved him off the bed."  
  
"Yeah," Sage said, rubbing his side near his backbone where the pelvis meets.   
  
"Awww…poor Sage," Rekino couldn't help but laugh.  
  
Sage only growled at her, but he said nothing.  
  
Soon enough, Thunder and Hana came out. When everyone was situated around, all of them wanted to know the one thing. Would Thunder be allowed to return back home with them? There was only one way to find out; however, before they could all go and wake up Queen Lila, who had fallen asleep in Rekino's room, Blaze appeared in the room.  
  
"Blaze, what's up?" Flash asked.  
  
Blaze looked directly at Thunder as he walked over to him. '_There's something you must know. The rape…wasn't a rape, Warrior of Storm… it was merely an illusion done by Alina_.'  
  
"What?! You mean…I'm…I'm…  
  
'_Still a virgin as you humans put it_.'  
  
Thunder was overjoyed. There were no words to describe how he felt. His friend were happy too, especially Hana. Blaze, however, wasn't done yet.  
  
'_You might be wondering why you couldn't see through that illusion, Storm. Your mind was so confused, and you were so bitter, and upset, it blocked your Second Sight to see things clearly. With Disani being hurt, that partly shut it down, being separated from your parents, and watching everyone around you suffer was another, and when Alina took you away from them, that shut it down completely. But there is one thing though. Since it was shut down for a while, you now have it, and it's much stronger now. So put it too good use and use it wisely_.'  
  
"I will," Thunder said. "And Blaze? Thank you."  
  
The wolf nodded and vanished from the room.  
  
"Well, at least now everything is finally coming together," Ryo said as he stood up. "I think it's time we got the ball rolling."  
Rekino nodded and also stood up. So did Shades and Scorpio.  
  
"I should get my mother then," Thunder said. He paused. "Um, where is she?"  
  
"Oh, she's in my room, sleeping, Thunder," Rekino replied. She showed him the door that was hers, and he went down that way, leaving Hana with the others. Immediately, Rekino started to ask questions, one right after the other, "So, did you two decide on wedding plans? What about him kissing you? Was he shy about it? Did you have to encourage him to kiss you? You guys didn't…"  
  
At that Hana suddenly covered Rekino's mouth with her hand and leaned close to her. "Rekino!" she hissed. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No, we didn't decide on wedding plans, yes, we kissed, no he wasn't shy about it, and no we didn't doing anything else besides kissing!"  
  
Rekino stared at her, then smiled, and took Hana's hand away from her mouth. "Okay, blondie, just checking."  
  
Hana just mumbled something.   
  
Just then, Thunder returned with Lila. "I've told her we'd be leaving soon," Thunder told them.  
  
"Then let's get packed up and ready to go then," Ryo said.  
  
"How did all of you arrive here though?" Lila asked them. "It wasn't by flight or ship was it?"  
  
All of them shook their heads, side glancing at one another. Should they tell her or no? Finally, they decided that telling was the best thing to do. After all, she had witnessed some extraordinary things during this war.  
  
"You see," Rowen said, as he gestured at himself, Ryo, Rekino, and Hana, "we five arrived in Flash's hometown with the help of a lady with some ancient magic to her, then, we met up with Flash and the other Warriors, and Flash's wolf teleported all of us, except a few of them, to here."  
  
"Why couldn't the others come?" Lila asked.  
  
"Blaze said the others were needed back at home to take care of Thunder's grandparents because they were ill," Scorpio told her.  
  
"Oh dear," Lila said.   
  
Thunder frowned. "I'm hoping they're okay. I know T-boz is a great person to care for someone. I hope to see them both soon. Right now we need to get to the castle. I have to speak to my father, and it concerns my future."


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Disclaimer:  Due to process of constantly saying so many times that we don't own RWs, we've decided to write a correspondence letter to Sunrise asking for the rights to the show. Yeah, right...  
Unexpected Consequences  
Chapter 20**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Amaya had arrived in Kento's room shortly after Josephine had entered Cye's. The Ronin of Hardrock had been so happy to see her that he had cried. Amaya had been taken aback by his outburst, but comforted the one she loved. They had been doing nothing but cuddling for the past ten minutes when Amaya finally decided to bring up the subject that had been eating away at her mind, but she couldn't get it out.  
  
"What's wrong, 'Mya?" Kento asked as he nuzzled her neck, "You have something on your mind."  
  
The Guardian of Torrent sat up and stretched, "Yes, I do," She whispered quietly in her beautiful French accent, "I've been meaning to tell you something for a couple of weeks, but it's been so busy lately."  
  
"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure I'll be happy."  
  
Amaya took in a deep breath and looked into her boyfriend's blue/granite eyes, "Kento, I'm three and a half months pregnant."  
  
The air in the room grew stale. Neither of them moved a muscle. Kento just kept staring into Amaya's eyes before he finally got the words out, "I'm sorry? What did you say?"  
  
"I said I was three and a half months pregnant, Kento," Amaya repeated herself.  
  
He blinked once. Blinked again. Ran a hand through his hair. Blinked again. Lowered his head. Inhaled and exhaled before he finally spoke, "I…can't…believe this."  
  
Amaya's face fell, "So, you're not happy?"  
  
"Oh no! Baby, it's not like that. I'm ecstatic, not to mention shocked, that I'm going to be a father!" Kento said as he cradled Amaya's face in his hands.  
  
"Then why do you sound so sad?" She asked.  
  
"One name. Two words. Rekino Sanada."  
  
Amaya's eyes widened before she finally realized what Kento had just said. Rekino wasn't going to be very happy, "Oh, I see your point."  
  
Just then, there was a knock at the door and Cye let himself in. Amaya and Kento stared at the young British man, "Did she tell you?"  
  
Kento nodded his head, "Yeah."  
  
Cye smiled, "Good. I just got off the phone with a JCP Life Insurance agent who's going to cut us a deal."  
  
"Dude, you're awesome!" Kento exclaimed, "Let's hurry and make the deal before Rekino gets home and has our hides," He got off the bed, but not before giving Amaya a kiss, "I love you."  
  
Cye tapped his foot, "We don't have all the time in the world!"  
  
"Okay! Sheesh, can't let a man say bye to the woman he loves," Kento exclaimed as he gave Amaya another quick kiss and left with Cye out of the room. After the two Ronin Warriors left, Josephine came in the door.  
  
"Hey chicko!" Josephine exclaimed, "I take it Ken went with Cye, huh?"  
  
"Yep," Amaya sighed and switched her sitting position to Indian style, "So, am I going to tell Rekino or are you?"  
  
Josephine gave her deer in the headlights look and shook her head, "I ain't telling her by myself!" She pointed at herself and at Amaya, "We'll do it together."  
  
"When?" The French woman asked as she rose a single eyebrow.  
  
"In a couple of minutes when I gather my nerve and get something to eat," Josephine said, "Wanna come?"  
  
Amaya shrugged, "Sure, better than sitting around doing nothing," She threw her legs over the bed and followed Josephine down into the kitchen were they would eat and think of a way to tell their hot-headed leader.  
  
  
  
Ryo raised an eyebrow, "What do you have to ask him, bud?"  
  
"You'll see when we get to the castle," Thunder said and looked towards Hana and smiled.  
  
Out of nowhere, Rekino started bouncing up and down, humming the wedding march, "OOO! I WANNA PICK OUT THE WEDDING DRESS AND FLOWERS!"  
  
Everyone in the room sweatdropped at the Lady of Wildfire's excitement. Hana clinched her fists as a nerve started popping out of her head. She had to think of a way to get Rekino back for what she had done earlier. She smiled and wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders, "Hey oh bouncy one, did you know that Rowen has a girlfriend?"  
  
All eyes in the room turned towards Hana when she spoke those words. Ryo's mouth fell, Shades dropped her book, Scorpio's glass fell out of his hands, Flash raised an eyebrow, Lila gasped, and Sage and Thunder shared the same expression, shock. Rekino's eyes turned to small little slits and she looked at Rowen and back at Hana, "You're lying to me."  
  
"No, I'm not," Hana said in a voice that would make Osama bin Laden sound convincing.  
   
That Lady of Wildfire turned towards Rowen, and, in a split second, she charged him, "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"  
  
Rowen held up his hands in defense, "She's lying Rekino! I haven't been seeing anyone! I swear!" He felt a hard, loud slap across his face, "Dammit!"  
  
Ryo, who had been mad the whole time, jumped in on the fight and was helping his sister beat up on Rowen while the Strata warrior was trying his best to defend himself against the two Wildfire's attack. Thunder and Sage looked at one another and nodded, having had the same thoughts. Sage grabbed Rekino by the arms and pulled her back and Thunder put Ryo in a headlock, holding him down, while Rowen was struggling to get up. Hana had her arms crossed over her chest wearing a humorous and triumphant smirk.  
  
Rowen wiped the blood from his lip and stared daggers at Hana, "Why did you say that?!"  
  
Hana could resist the urge any longer and started howling with laughter at the site of Rekino struggling against Sage and Rowen looking like he'd just been ran over by a bunch of crazy hillbillies, "IDIOTS! Rowen, you do have one! Rekino is your girlfriend!"  
  
All mouths in the room fell. Rekino stopped her assault and so did Ryo. Shades soon started laughing along with Hana. Lila was amused by the girl's humor a little bit. Scorpio was just blinking. Sage and Thunder let go of their two prisoners and looked at Hana.  
  
"That was cruel, Hana," Sage managed to get out before, he too, started laughing.  
  
Rekino stood up and gave Hana her oh so famous evil eye, "Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you?"  
  
Hana only smirked, "Paybacks a bitch," She announced as her smile grew wider.  
  
Rekino glared at Hana, but kept her mouth shut. She should have known that the Halo Guardian would pull a stunt like that. And even though she hated to admit it, it was a good prank. Though Rowen didn't look too happy about it. Rekino knew she would have to apologize to him later for beating up on him. But first she'd have to get through her pride. Ryo on the other hand did apologize to him.  
  
They caught a taxi and the driver was so happy to be driving the queen and her son back to their castle, that he allowed them to ride free of charge.   
  
Once back at the castle, they exited the doors, and got through the doors, with guards suddenly flanking the queen and prince. Hana was bustling with excitement as she walked beside Thunder. Behind them were Rekino and Rowen, then Flash and Sage, then Ryo, Shades, and Scorpio. They entered through the great hall chamber, their complexions shadowed by various bright lights. They passed through the great hall, and entered into the throne room. At once, guards everywhere immediately saluted the queen and the prince.   
  
King Thaitus stood up from his throne and came toward them. He immediately hugged his wife and gave her a tender kiss. "Welcome home, dear."  
  
"Thank you, my lord," Lila said as she returned his kiss. Thaitus turned and looked at the Warriors, the Ronins, and Lady Guardians. He approached them and spoke loudly enough for the court to hear.  
  
"I must thank all of you for saving my kingdom. If not for you, I would have lost my wife, my son, and my kingdom. I owe you a great debt."  
  
They remained silent as they waited for him to finish speaking. "So, I am hosting another ball which will be held within two days, and you are all invited to attend. You may also stay in the castle and leave as you choose to. Also," he looked toward Thunder now, "I am granting my son permission to be allowed to go and visit his grandparents and friends during certain times of the year." Everyone held their breath as they waited for him to continue. And he did. "These will be during the spring break which will be for ten days, then during summer break which is for 6 weeks, during the Thanksgiving break which is for five days, and during Christmas break which is for two and a half weeks. He'll stay here for half of Christmas day, then will be allowed to fly to any place he chooses after he opens presents." He paused and looked at Thunder. "Do you agree to these terms?"  
  
Thunder thought about it. He was amazed, but what his father had just said was almost what he wanted to ask. Though he wanted to be able to go on weekends as well to visit his grandparents. He spoke up. "I agree, father, but I'd also like to request of going to visit my grandparents every weekend."  
  
Thaitus thought about it and then nodded his head. "You may, and if you want to, sometimes, your friends can come here and stay with you as well, provided there is no school for you."  
  
Thunder nodded his head, smiling. Then with a sudden impulse he suddenly leaped forward and hugged his father. "Thank you, dad," he said in a whisper.  
  
Thaitus was shocked, but overcame it quickly. He hugged his son back, and told him he was welcomed. The two departed from each other, and Thaitus clapped his hands. "Now, I suggest we all eat. I'm sure we're all very hungry."  
  
"Famished," Flash said who hadn't eaten almost all day.  
  
Sage nodded his head. So everyone was led toward the dining hall. When they saw the table, their mouths dropped and their eyes got big. Food upon food was covering the table.   
  
"_Man, if Kento and Josephine saw this, they'd jump on the table by now!"_ Ryo thought to himself.  
  
Flash was thinking the same thing about Ice, just imagining him grabbing everything and shoving into his mouth as fast as he could.  
  
Thaitus and Lila took their places at the head of the table, and Thunder sat near them. Hana sat beside him, and Flash and Sage sat across from them, with Rekino and Rowen opposite of them, and with Ryo and Scorpio next to them, and with Shades opposite from Scorpio. Servants stood nearby ready to attend, and another servant kindly pointed at what the Ronins, Lady Guardians, or Warriors did not recognize. Though Scorpio and Thunder did not need to be told, because Thunder's grandmother was famous for her German style cooking.  
  
The meals began when everyone had a plate of food and talk resumed. Everyone told the king and queen where they were from, and when asked about the armors, it was explained to them. During dinner though, Thunder was formulating a plan in the back of his mind. He was going to get even with Rekino one way or another. He just needed to think of a good plan, and the right moment to initiate that plan.   
  
After dinner was over, everyone was escorted to the rooms they would be staying in while here. Though they had wanted to leave right away, they had chosen to stay. Besides they were all tired and needed the rest. However, Ryo was leaving first thing in the morning.  
  
"You'll be coming to attend the ball though?" Thunder asked as the two stood in the hall alone, save for a couple of guards nearby.   
  
Ryo nodded. "Yes, I'm sure Mia will want to come as well, but I'll have to ask her. I'm not quite sure about the others though." He let out a sigh. Everyone else had gone into their rooms to rest, except Flash and Rekino who had gone out into the backyard of the palace to fence. He raised his tiger blue eyes toward the taller boy. "I'm gonna get some rest now. I'll see you later."  
  
Thunder nodded and watched as the leader of the Ronins entered his room and shut the door behind him. He frowned a bit. Something seemed to be troubling Ryo, but what? That was a mystery itself.  
  
  
  
The two leaders of their groups stood facing each other in the back courtyard, their weapons held out before them. Rekino was in her subarmor, while Flash remained in her regular clothes. Guards stood about, but far enough away to give them room as they were ready to begin their training.  
  
"Hey, Flash, one question before we start," Rekino suddenly said.  
  
"What?" Flash asked.  
  
"Why don't you have a subarmor?"  
  
"That's a good question," Flash said. "I never actually understood that either." She scratched her head, and then said. "Now you've got me wondering!"  
  
Rekino nodded and flipped her sword up. "So none of you Warriors have one then?"  
  
"No, we don't," Flash replied with a nod.   
  
"Okay, then," Rekino said. "Let's begin then."  
  
They faced each other off. Flash attacked first, and Rekino quickly blocked it, and then reacted with an attack of her own. Flash somersaulted backwards, then stood up one hand, and used her sword to try and trip Rekino. Rekino saw it just in time and quickly dodged it by doing a quick handspring.  
  
They continued to practice this way, getting a little more and more furious with it, as they began to move faster and faster. Though Flash was quicker, she maintained her speed to Rekino's level to be fair. Rekino also maintained her grip and temper to keep fair as well, and they both practiced with harmony and yet with stamina. By the time they had finished, both were exhausted and lying flat on their backs, head to head, staring at the blue sky, resting. They had been practicing for two hours straight nonstop.  
  
"Hey, Rekino, I was thinking, why the question earlier?" Flash asked.  
  
Rekino was silent for a moment before she answered. "Because whenever we were getting ready to fight the weak pathetic excuses for soldiers, I never once saw you had a subarmor. I used to think if there were any other warriors with mystical armors like ours, out there fighting to save the world, they would have subarmors like ours, but different in a way."  
  
"I see," Flash said with a nod of her head.  
  
Rekino smiled at her, and Flash smiled back, and the two continued to watch the sky overhead, letting a peaceful silence take them over.  
  
  
  
Thunder stood by a large upstairs window, watching Rekino and Flash. Hana was still sleeping, as she had been exhausted out. He had explained to his father and mother ten minutes before that although he knew they wanted him to marry, he didn't feel ready, and he was sure Hana didn't feel ready yet either. He wanted to finish school and graduate and go to college afterward. His parents understood his decision, and even offered to pay to have his lessons sent to him from his very own school in the Americas as long as he promised to have German tutoring lessons for four hours a day, five days a week. He had agreed to it, and the matter had been settled. Now here he was staring at the two girls, or more particularly Rekino. His lips curled into a strange smile. It was time.  
  
He turned away from the window and went to find Rowen. He checked several rooms, but found them to be empty, or filled with workers. He asked a few people if they had seen the blue haired archer. They all replied, "No, sire."   
  
He turned away, rubbing his chin as he tried to think of where he could be. Then he saw a servant come near him, carrying a basket of freshly washed clothes. He recognized her as Wendi.  
  
"Sire, I believe that the Rowen you are looking for is in the Library of Solar Arts."  
  
"Where is that at?" he asked. He had forgotten he hadn't explored much of this castle, so he had clue where most of anything was.  
  
She told him the way, and he thanked her and headed off. And Wendi returned to her work.  
  
  
  
Rowen was reading a book on Astrological Stars Unforeseen - Fact or Fiction. He had already read about thirty pages of it within fifteen minutes, as he was so into the book. Other people reading around didn't bother him, and he wasn't even aware of when they had suddenly begun to either bow or salute.  
  
Thunder had entered the room. When he signaled to the small group to stop, he headed over to Rowen and stood behind him watching him quietly for a few minutes. Finally he tapped his shoulder.  
  
"GAHH!" Rowen jumped, throwing his arms back, completely startled. Thunder ducked to avoid a swinging arm, which would have broken his nose, had he hadn't.  
  
Rowen sank back into his chair; his arms limp at his sides, his mouth slightly open as he turned his head to look at Thunder ducking there. Everyone was watching now. Finally Rowen relaxed.  
  
"Thunder."  
  
"Can I stand up now?" Thunder asked.  
  
"Yeah. Err…sorry about that," he apologized, nervously running a hand through his hair.  
  
Thunder straightened up and grinned. "Don't worry about it. It's good practice. Anyway, I need to talk to you."  
  
"What about?"  
  
Thunder glanced toward the other people and cleared his throat. They quickly turned back to what they were doing. However, he wasn't sure if he even wanted them to hear at all, even if they weren't watching.  
  
"Not here," he told Rowen.  
  
Rowen looked at him and saw how serious his expression was. He nodded and stood up, and glanced at the book. Thunder saw his look.   
  
"It'll be fine." He looked at the others, and held up the book for all to see once he regained their attention again. "This book stays here."  
  
"Yes, sire," they replied. With that, he put the book down, and walked out of the library, with Rowen following along.   
  
They walked a good few blocks in the castle before Thunder felt safe enough to speak. Rowen was wondering why he wanted to speak with him, why he was being so secretive. Finally, Thunder whirled around.  
  
"Okay, Rowen, I need a huge favor from you," Thunder said.  
  
Rowen blinked. That was it? This huge act of looking highly secretive, was just to ask for a favor? Okay, this was just getting weirder and weirder. "What kind of favor?" he asked.  
  
"The kind that pays Rekino back for taking pictures of me and Hana," he said.  
  
"Oh that," Rowen said.  
  
"Do you realize what would happen if someone were to steal the pictures somehow, what the media might do?" Thunder asked.  
  
Rowen thought about it for a few moments, and then he frowned. "The rumors would spread like wildfire."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"So what did you need me to do?"  
  
Thunder suddenly grinned and whispered into his ear.  
  
Later that day after everyone had their rest and had eaten, Rowen went to Rekino who was curled up a recliner, reading a book by a windowsill. Shades was sitting on a couch, talking with Scorpio about something, Flash was sitting on the floor on a thick rug, drawing on a pad, while Sage massaged her shoulders. Ryo was sitting on the other recliner, while Thunder and Hana shared the love seat. All of them were in a private room, which Thunder had been able to get prepared to be a type of living room for them. There was a large screen TV, with many kinds of game consoles and games, a DVD player, a surround stereo system, and a few other things.  
  
Rowen stood by Rekino, and was silent for a few moments before he cleared his throat. Rekino looked up at him. "What is it, Rowen?" she asked, then frowned when she saw his serious expression.  
  
"Um, Rekino, there's something I have to tell you," Rowen began, nervously running a hand through his hair.  
  
Rekino frowned. Oh no, he was going to break up with her, or tell her he decided to stay to become a guard for Thunder, but that she wasn't allowed. This was almost too horrible to bear. She swallowed a lump in her throat. "What is it, Rowen?" she asked forcibly.  
  
"Rekino, I've been giving this a lot of thinking," Rowen said softly as he looked down at the floor. Then he suddenly looked up. "And after thinking about it, I've come to a decision to get a sex change."  
  
Rekino's mouth dropped open, and everyone stopped what they were doing and stared in disbelief at Rowen.  
  
"Followed by a hysterectomy," he finished.  
  
"WHAT?!!!!"


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Disclaimer: ………wtf are you wanting to know? No, we don't own the Ronin's. Sunrise does. We own the Guardians, Warriors, and other characters that aren't in the show!   
Unexpected Consequences  
Chapter 21**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"WHAT?!!!" Rekino screamed in English. Her eyes widened in disbelief, "NANI?!" She screamed in Japanese. She stood up and started ranting and raving in Japanese. She started pacing, still screaming.  
  
Scorpio raised an eyebrow and looked at Ryo, "What is she saying?"  
  
Ryo's eyes were wide. He had never known his sister's Japanese vocabulary extended that far. He looked at his friend, "You don't want to know."  
  
Hana's hand flew to her mouth. She looked at Scorpio, "She's pretty much saying every cuss word in the English language and more in Japanese," She looked up towards Thunder and saw him trying to hide a smile. Did he have something to do with this?  
  
Rowen stood his ground watching his girlfriend screaming her head off. He had been reluctant to Thunder's plan, but he also knew what Rekino did was wrong. He cleared his throat and grabbed her arm, "Rekino!"  
  
"ROWEN NO BAKA!" Rekino screamed and jerked back. She raised her fist ready to knock him on the floor when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She saw Thunder sitting next to Hana grinning ear to ear. Her eyes widened when she saw the look on Rowen's face. Her face went redder than her armor and she turned towards Thunder, "YOU LITTLE SHIT! THIS WAS YOUR IDEA, YOU DUMB, CASTERATED, NINCOMPOP! I'M GONNA BEAT THE LIFE OUT OF YOU!"  
  
Hana could not resist the urge, "You can't kill him by violence, oh screaming one!"  
  
Rekino's eyes turned towards Hana, "Okay then, I'LL JUST HAVE TO BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU!" She lunged towards the loveseat and hit it with such force, that it flew backwards. It had acted like a catapult sending Thunder and Hana flying into the wall knocking over some portraits.  
  
Flash cringed, "Oooh, that looked expensive!"  
  
Ryo smirked, "Rekino sent them flying bassackwards!"  
  
Scorpio raised an eyebrow and looked at his friend, "What?"  
  
"Backwards," Ryo said, "Josephine uses that word all the time."  
  
Scorpio blinked and nodded his head. He was a little confused, but didn't say anything else. Shades was beside him watching Thunder and Hana stand up. Rekino pushed herself up off the couch and crossed her arms.  
  
"My dear sweet God, Rekino!" Hana screamed, "That was just utterly rude and uncalled for!"  
  
"OH?! WAS IT?!" Rekino screamed. She got ready to attack them again but heard something in her head, laughing. She looked around the room seeing that it wasn't coming from anyone there. She closed her eyelids a little bit and her lips curled up. She knew who it was. "_Josephine!"  
  
"Hiya Chief!" _ Josephine replied with a smirk.  
  
_"How long have you been here?"_ Rekino asked.  
  
_"Long enough to see Rowen's joke and hear you screaming every cuss word known to man."_ Josephine said and laughed, _"Amaya's here too!"_  
  
Suddenly, the voice of the Torrent warrior popped in Rekino's head, _"We're going to have a little talk about your language when you get home!"_  
  
Rekino frowned and said sarcastically, _"Okay mother! What crawled up your ass and died?"_  
  
Josephine and Amaya looked at one another before Josephine spoke, "Should we tell her?"  
  
Amaya cringed, "It'll give her time to cool down."  
  
_"Okay you two! Don't bother trying to cut anything off! I can still hear you!"_ Rekino replied. She noticed that everyone in the room was looking at her, "The beating will resume after I finish my call." She sat down in the floor Indian style, _"Spill it!"  
  
_Josephine started, _"Weeeeeeell, it's like this. Amaya and I…we'repregnantandwedidn'twanttotellyouuntilyougothomebutwedecideditwouldbebettertotellyounowsoyoucancooloff! WE'RE SO SORRY! PLEASE DON'T KILL US!"  
  
_Rekino's eyes bugged out of her head and she screamed out loud to everyone, "YOU'RE WHAT?!"  
  
Everyone looked at Rekino with a 'what the hell' look on his or her face. Then, Rowen broke the silence, "Okay I wanna know, but I don't wanna know." Rekino cut her eyes over towards him. His hands flew up in the air and he back away, shaking his head, "I'm not saying another word."  
  
The Lady of Wildfire managed a small smile and she got back to her comrades,  _"You two do know what this means, don't you?"_  
  
Josephine decided to play stupid and say something in her range of criteria, _"Our boobs and bellies get bigger, we get waited on hand and foot, and NO SCHOOL!"  
  
_Amaya's head fell on the table and she sighed out loud. Josephine was going to get them in more trouble with her sense of humor, "Oh Ancients, please help us."  
  
_"NO YOU IDIOT!" _Rekino screamed, _"This means that, when I get home, we'll be rich!"  
  
"How so?" _Amaya asked, _"Last I recall, pregnant people had to pay to have a baby. Not get paid!"_  
  
Rekino laughed out loud, which scared everyone, including Josephine and Amaya. She immediately stopped and the image of her face popped in her two comrades heads, _"NO! When I get home, I'M GOING TO CUT KENTO AND CYE INTO LITTLE PIECES AND SELL THEIR MEAT ON THE BLACK MARKET!"  
  
_Josephine's eyes widened and she slammed her hands down on the table, and screamed loud enough for every single Ronin Warrior and Lady Guardian to hear, _"THE HELL YOU SAY! YOU'RE NOT CUTTING ANYTHING OFF OF MY MAN OR MY COUSIN! YOU DIDN'T ACT THIS BAD WHEN MIA WAS PREGNANT! WHY? BECAUSE IT WAS YOUR FUCKING BROTHER! YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO BE OUR FRIEND! WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE HAPPY! BUT I GUESS WE WERE WRONG!"_  
  
Amaya fell out of her chair. Rowen and Sage clutched their heads in pain. Ryo was staring at the floor in shock. Hana's eyes widened. Mia, who had been tending to Hiroshi, dropped his dirty diaper and the smelly contents went into the floor. Cye, trying not to drive off the road, slammed on his brakes and Kento hit his head on the dashboard. Rekino's eyes filled with unshed tears. She stood up and cleared her throat.  
  
_"I suppose you're right, Hardrock; however, I was very and extremely angry at my brother for what he had done, and the same will go for Kento and Cye."_ Rekino said monotony, _"I'm sorry for saying what I did. I won't hurt Kento and Cye, I'll treat them the same way I did Ryo, but don't expect me to be easy on you two either when I get home."_  
  
Everything was silent. Josephine and Amaya listened to their leader talking. They felt the pain and Josephine suddenly regretted some of what she had said, but not all of it. Before she could apologize, Rekino cut her off.  
  
_"Ryo's coming home tomorrow morning, but he's coming back with Mia. Thaitus is holding another ball in honor of us defeating Borya and Alina. If you want to come, that's fine. If you don't, that's fine as well. I have some other business to attend to. Hana or I will contact you later about the ball. Bye, Torrent and Hardrock."_ Rekino closed the connection and stood up. She looked at Rowen first, "It may have been Thunder's idea, but the stunt you pulled wasn't funny at all, Strata. I thought you had to tell me something that was serious," She turned away from him and faced Thunder and Hana. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out the pictures, throwing them at the couple, "If you were worried the pictures would get out, you two were wrong. I WAS going to put them in an album I keep in my room, but that's different now. I hope you're happy, Storm. My whole day has been ruined." Without another word, she turned on her heel and ran out of the room, up the stairs, and to her quarters. Hoping to get some thinking time in.  
  
  
  
Josephine and Amaya sat at the table staring into space. The words of their leader echoed in the back of their minds. She had sounded so sincere, yet so sad. Both of them knew that when Rekino called them by their armor names, that she was either depressed or extremely mad. Amaya sighed out loud and looked at Josephine, not saying a word.  
  
"What?" Josephine asked, "I spoke the truth! Although I know it was a little harsh, but I spoke the truth!"  
  
"You didn't have to be so mean about it. You know how Rekino is," Amaya said softly. She raised her hand to speak again but the phone cut them off. She stood up and walked towards the phone in the kitchen, "Koji residence. Amaya speaking."  
  
The voice on the other end spoke in a wavy voice, "'Mya, this is Cye."  
  
She immediately knew something was wrong by the tone of her counterparts voice, "What's wrong?"  
  
"While Kento and I were coming home, we heard Josephine talking to Rekino in our heads. I couldn't drive, so I slammed on my brakes…and…"  
  
"You had a wreck?" She asked softly.  
  
"Yes," He sighed into the phone, "My car's totaled."  
  
Amaya had to urge to start screaming in French, but she held herself back, "Where are you?"  
  
"At the corner of fourth and…" Cye paused as he looked around, "Brown's street, I think."  
  
Amaya smiled, "We'll be there shortly," She wrote down the information Cye gave her, "Don't go anywhere, just wait for us. We'll be in my car."  
  
"Thanks!" Cye said.  
  
"You're welcome. Bye," Amaya hung up the phone and looked at Josephine, "Cye and Kento had a wreck."  
  
Josephine's eyes widened thinking that Cye had been hurt, but she could feel that Kento wasn't, so she relaxed a little, "Where are they?"  
  
"Corner of fourth and Brown's street," Amaya said as she reached for her keys, "We have to go pick them up."  
  
Josephine nodded and stood up. She grabbed her cell phone and walked out of the door ahead of Amaya. The Torrent Guardian locked the door and hit a button on her key ring, unlocking her 2002 aquamarine, convertible Mustang GT, and letting down the top. Josephine hopped in the passengers seat and Amaya walked over to the driver's side, getting in and cranking up the car. She revved the engine for a little while and speed out of the driveway.  
  
  
  
Hana crossed her arms over her chest. Not feeling the least bit sorry for her leader. What Rekino had done was almost unforgivable. She had never in her wildest imagination would have ever thought that Rekino would take pictures of them. Beside her Thunder was quietly looking at the pictures, his expression hadn't changed. She knew he had been extremely embarrassed about it, and he had every right to fear something may happen to the pictures. Why hadn't Rekino thought about that? It just seemed like all she cared was about herself and no one else.  
  
Rowen stood up, feeling more and more guilty. "I can't stand this anymore. I'm going to apologize."  
  
"Rowen, don't," Hana spoke forcibly. "She deserved it! I'm sorry I used you as a target, and I'm sure Thunder is too, but what she did was uncalled for. I've never seen Thunder's face turn so red in the time I've known him."  
  
"Let me guess, she walked in while you were kissing each other, and took a picture?" Scorpio asked.  
  
"Yes," Hana growled.  
  
Rowen sighed heavily. He had no idea what to do at the moment.  
  
  
  
In her room, Rekino sat, fuming over everything. She couldn't believe that two of her Guardians were pregnant at the same time, and that both Hana and Thunder would dare to play a joke on her. She was so angry at Thunder she was thinking of refusing to go the ball. She couldn't handle this anymore. She would have a nervous breakdown before she reached her eighteenth birthday.  
  
She lay on her back, glaring up at the ceiling. '_They had no right to play those tricks on me_,' she thought to herself bitterly. She allowed herself to be angry for a good sixty minutes, before she finally started to do some more thinking. She remembered how shocked and embarrassed Thunder had looked when she had taken his and Hana's picture. It was obvious Hana was the first girl he had truly ever kissed. Did she truly have a right to take their picture without asking? What about Flash and Sage? Come to think of it, they had been asleep, and didn't even know about it, as far as she knew.  
  
She sat up, frowning deeply as she looked back at her Polaroid Camera. She climbed off the bed and headed over to it and picked it up, studying it. Then she noticed something odd about it. It looked like it had been opened somehow. That was strange. There were even scratch marks on it. She peered closely at it and pushed a tiny button under it, which opened the head of the camera. And then she gasped. The film was gone!  
  
Her eyes narrowed angrily. How could this have happen? She was sure she had been careful, and she knew that no one had gone in her room, cause everyone was in the 'living room'. She began to search around, hoping that by some chance there would be some clues left behind. After twenty minutes she shook her head in frustration. She was getting nowhere fast with this. She was no detective! Still, it didn't matter. She had to find that film and fast.  
  
Rekino left her bedroom and hurried down the hall, hoping she would come across the thief soon. When she did she was going to give them such a beating, Lady Ronin style. She walked down the hall at a fast pace, not caring who she ran into. Upon entering the Library Hall, she bumped into one the kings trusted maids: Wendi, who was with her friends, Jessica and Missy.  
  
"Excuse me," Rekino said and kept walking on looking for the thief.  
  
Wendi narrowed her hazel eyes as Missy helped her up, "If that wasn't rude, I don't know what was!"  
  
"And to think that we helped them save Germany," Jessica said. Wendi and Missy immediately covered their friends mouth.  
  
"Not so loud!" Missy hissed in her friend's ear, "Personally, I don't want everyone in Germany to know that we had a part in that!"  
  
The green-eyed brunette stepped back, "I'm sorry. Sheesh, it was a slip up!"  
  
The two girls nodded at Jessica's apology. Together, the three stood in abandoned hall remembering what had happened the last few days.  
  
_**Flashback**  
  
The three women stood in the rafters of Borya's castle, watching Flash fight Alina.   
  
Jessica, the youngest of the three, narrowed her green eyes as she watched the younger girl toss the queen across the room with her powerful fire spells. She sighed knowing how hard the battle must on her. She knew what it was like to control an element; she was a priestess of water, and very skilled in the art of healing poisons. She held her weapon, a water mace, tightly in her left hand, ready to jump into battle if Flash needed any help.  
  
Missy stood to Jessica's right side. Her brown hair, which had dark brown, light brown, white, and some blonde and black streaks in it, flew in the wind. Her sword was sheathed on her back and her hand was on the hilt, being ready for anything. Being the oldest of the three, she was well known for her ability to sense evil. Her element, spirit, allowed her to sense demons and other evil figures; however, she could not kill them. Her hand tightened around her katana and her blue/silver eyes narrowed as she felt the evil in the palace growing stronger.  
  
Wendi, the last of the trio, stood at Jessica's right side with her hazel eyes wondering around the room. She frowned at the site at the young girl having to fight the Roman queen.  She was the middle aged of the three girls, being only eighteen, and she specialized in the art of song. Her elemental abilities weren't as good as her friends, but her voice held magical powers. Her preferred weapon, a mystical bow that allowed her to teleport and fly, was held in her right hand, and her arrows were on her back. Her shoulder blade length blonde, curly hair was in a tight French braid.  
  
"What do we do now?" Jessica asked her two friends, not looking away from the battle. She thought of Wendi and Missy as her sisters more than her friends.  
  
Wendi smirked, "Destroy the power source," She turned towards Missy, "Do you know where it is?"  
  
The older girl nodded her head, "In the north tower. We must make haste."  
  
Wendi nodded and started chanting. A small bubble engulfed the priestesses and the appeared inside the room where Borya kept his power source. She sneered; this had to have been the ugliest thing she had seen. A type of blue smile covered a rotating type ball of energy that emanated a sort of chain like threads that held onto the wall.  
  
Jessica gagged, "Gross! Gross! Gross!"  
  
"Let's get this over with," Missy said, "I don't want to have to be here any longer than I have to."  
  
"I'm telling ya!" Jessica said, "This place stinks, it's nasty, and GROSS!"  
  
Wendi chuckled, "We get the picture, Jessie." She turned around when she heard a noise. Two dozen of the Roman soldiers barged into the room.  
  
"Oh, now this is great!" Missy said and unsheathed her katana. She looked behind her and noticed more soldiers, "We don't have time for this!"  
  
"I agree!" Wendi said. She knew that her elemental power wouldn't help with destroying the power source, but maybe her songs could help with the soldiers, "I have an idea!"  
  
"Well then tell us before we become priestesses on a stick!" Jessica said as she jumped back and hit a soldier on top of the head with her mace.  
  
"Close your ears!" She said and shot off an arrow at an enemy.  
  
Missy and Jessica both understood what their friend meant. The clasped their hands over their ears as Wendi stopped in the middle of the circle the soldier hand created. She raised her hand in the air and let her voice fill the room, "Fall into a deep temptation…fall into a deep temptation…a deep temptation of sleep…" She jumped into the air and sprouted wings. Opening her hand, she twirled around, blowing a pink and blue dust into the air. Immediately, the soldiers fell into a deep sleep. She landed and her wings disappeared.  
  
Jessica removed her hands and gave her best friend a high five, "Look at you and your bad self! Uh huh! Uh huh! Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh!"  
  
Missy smiled and hugged her friend, "Now, we have to get rid of the power."  
  
Wendi nodded, "Right!"  
  
All three girls stood besides one another, drawing in energy. Missy was the first to attack. She jumped in the air and drew her katana back. The sword glowed white, "Spirit's Fury!" She drew the sword close to her head and made a quarter turn. She cocked her head to the side and released the glowing energy from her sword, throwing it towards the power.  
  
Jessica held her mace, her eyes closed, the top part pointed towards the ground as water surrounded her body. She opened her eyes and started spinning the weapon in front of her, "Tsunami's Break!" She kept spinning the mace, picking up speed every second. While still twirling, Jessica thrust the weapon to the right, then to the left, and stopped when she jumped, spreading her legs, and held the mace above her head. The attack mixed with Missy's as the energy was sent at the power.  
  
Wendi was last. She loaded her Dream Bow and concentrated. The arrow started glowing hues of different colors, symbolizing all of the Earthly elements: water, air, fire, ice, spirit, earth, light, and thunder. She drew the arrow back, "Elemental Combination!" Knowing that her power wouldn't make a big difference, though it strengthened her friends, she released the arrow, mixing it with the others.  
  
The three attacks combined together and the energy transformed into a creature that looked like a dragon. The creature stopped and growled, leaping towards its enemy, the power source. The thing created by Borya absorbed the energy created by the three priestesses. The colliding powers reacted, and in a second, an explosion erupted in the room.  
  
**End Flashback**_  
  
They stood there, staring at one another. The battle with Borya had been a long one, but they had experienced much more in their lives. Having only looked in their teens, the three young women were much older than they looked. They knew the pain of battle - having lost their families in the fierce battle that had taken place years ago on their planet.  
  
Missy sighed, "Let's stop living in the past. We have something to do."  
  
Jessica smiled and started walking down the hall with their two friends, "I'll go talk to the commander. You two can speak with the king."  
  
"You never miss a beat, Jessie," Wendi smiled and wrapped an arm around her friends shoulder.  
  
Once the girls left the hall, a figure jumped out of the curtains and into the hall, staring at the three retreating girls. In his hand was a stolen piece of Polaroid film and in the other was an expensive camera. His face curled into a smirk. The new information he acquired would make headline news.  
  
  
  
Thunder sighed as he stood by the window, watching two men walk their Dobermans across the yard, patrolling the castle grounds. Deep inside he felt bad for doing that to Rekino, and had even thought about apologizing to her, but Hana kept insisting that she deserved it. Like Rowen, he didn't know what to do.  
  
Flash had told him he should do what he wanted, and Scorpio said to follow his heart. Shades didn't seem to care one way or another, but it was hard saying with her. Ryo didn't say anything about it at all, but Thunder could tell he thought Rekino deserved it as well. Ryo loved his sister, but there was only so much he could take from her. He wanted Rekino to be happy, and yet to let the others be happy as well. Maybe the stress from this war had gotten to them. Maybe they all needed a vacation.   
  
_"A vacation? Yeah, right. With all the evil coming to this world, it's impossible for us to even have a normal day where we can just be free. Ancient, please let us have a break soon!"_ Ryo let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, then nearly fell off the couch when there was a knock at the door.   
  
Flash got up, smirking at Sage's pout, and went to answer the door. A guard stood at the door. "Yeah?" she said.  
  
"His royal majesty and her royal highness request an audience with his royal highness," the guard informed.  
  
Flash looked over her shoulder toward Thunder who was still staring out the window. "Hey, blondie!"  
  
At this both Thunder and Hana looked toward Flash and said at the same time, "What?" They both looked at each other, a bit shocked, then both slowly smiled.  
  
Flash smirked. "I mean the royal blondie."  
  
Thunder let out a sigh and turned to Hana who stood at his side now. "I'll be back."  
  
She nodded and watched him go.  
  
Rowen stared after Thunder's back as the tall blond followed the guard out of the room. He closed his eyes and held his face in his hands, wondering how long Rekino would stay mad at them.  
  
Ryo looked toward Rowen sympathetically. He was going to have a talk with Rekino later whether she liked it or not.   
  
  
  
Thunder stood before his parents in the throne room. He wondered what this was all about, and he was sure he'd get an answer soon. The problem was, he was a bit nervous at what it might be. The king then signaled a servant to come, and the servant obeyed, carrying a set of neatly folded clothes. Thaitus took the clothes and unfolded them before Thunder, giving him a better eye full.   
  
"These are your royal clothing, Thunder. We've had them specially made for you. This will show people who don't recognize you that you are the rightful prince of this country."  
  
Thunder stared at the clothes, and then took them, studying them. They were beautiful. The white shirt was like silk with slight ruffles going down it, and a button up collar. A gold collar went around the white collar. The pants to it, were black and shiny, with a black belt with a gold buckle. There was a red cape to it with gold lining. The boots were short to the ankles with a gold trim around the outer lining of the material. He had never seen anything like it before. He looked at his parents, a bit dazed.  
  
"You can thank us later," the king said with an amused smile. "Go change into them, then return here. We have something else for you."  
  
Thunder nodded and left the room. He was gone for several minutes, and when he returned he was dressed in the clothing that had been given to him. He stood before his parents once again.  
  
"He looks so grown up!" Lila gushed. Tears started to come out of her eyes, and she was sorry she had missed his growing up. Thunder smiled weakly at her, and then glanced at his father again.  
  
Thaitus cleared his throat and reached behind him. He brought forth a small golden crown with diamonds and rubies surrounding the outer rim. "This is to further signify you are our son, and the rightful heir to the throne." He placed the crown on top of Thunder's head. At first Thunder thought the crown would be uncomfortable, but he barely noticed it. It must have been one of those lightweight kinds.   
  
Thaitus stepped back, and then took something else. It was a gold ring with the symbol of the royal crown and of the symbol of Germany. He placed that on Thunder's finger and then saluted him. Thunder saluted back, but before he realized it, he was suddenly caught up in tight hug by his father whose face was streaming with tears of happiness as he whispered. "Welcome home, my son."


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Disclaimer: Don't own Ronin characters. Never will. **

**Unexpected Consequences  
Chapter 22**  
  
  
  
Rekino let out a frustrated sigh. She had searched nearly the entire castle, expect the forbidden rooms, and still she had not found that thief who had stolen her film. She bit her lip, filled with worry. Thunder was right, she realized. She should have been more careful. She sighed again and spun on her heel. She was going back to the others, and apologizing to Rowen and Thunder, and to the others for her behavior.   
  
She made it back to the room, and slowly went in with her head down. It was pretty quiet in the room now. She noticed that Thunder was gone, Ryo, Sage, and Flash were watching a movie, Shades was reading a book, and Scorpio and Rowen were playing chess. She bit her lip and could feel her heard pounding as she closed the door behind her. Immediately she caught Rowen looking toward her with a frown on his face.   
  
Rekino lowered her head as she felt tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She could feel Hana's anger, and even Josephine and Amaya's anger, even if those two were thousands of miles away.   
  
Ryo looked up at his sister. He didn't feel as angry with her as everyone else probably did. Then again, Flash, Shades, and Scorpio weren't angry at all. Flash was engaged into the movie, and egging the main character on, going, "Kick his ass!"  
  
Rowen watched his girlfriend for several minutes. How he wanted to stand up and go to her and hug her tightly, apologizing for even helping to pull those tricks on her. But then Rekino walked over to him and got on her knees before him as she took his hands in her own. Tears were now streaming down her face as she stared him in the eyes. "I'm so sorry, Rowen. I know I shouldn't have been so angry with you. And I shouldn't have gotten angry with Hana and Thunder. I just saw them kissing and I couldn't help it…"  
  
Hana looked toward her leader, still feeling the fury. She wanted to say something, but she didn't trust herself to speak. So she kept her mouth shut. She would talk to Rekino later when she felt less angry.  
  
"Rekka," Rowen said softly.   
  
"Don't say a word," Rekino shushed him. "I know what I did was wrong. I hope you can forgive me."  
  
Rowen bit his lip and looked at Hana, then looked down at Rekino. "Rekka, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."  
  
Rekino nodded. "I know." She looked at Hana and stood up, making her way toward her friend. "Hana, I know what I did was wrong. I really didn't think you would mind me taking pictures of you guys."  
  
Hana was silent for several moments before she spoke. "I admit I jumped too easily on you, but I felt what we were doing was private. Do you have any idea how embarrassed Thunder was?"  
  
Rekino lowered her head and shook it.   
  
"He was very embarrassed, Rekino. But I think he feels bad like I do for playing those tricks on you. We were just so upset about it, and he was worried someone would steal those pictures of us and post it all over the world."  
  
Rekino's eyes suddenly widen. "Oh shit."  
  
Hana stared at her with one delicate eyebrow raised. "What?" Her eyes widen then. "Oh no. Rekino, please tell me you didn't…"  
  
"I swear I didn't know it would happen!" Rekino protested.  
  
"What happened?" Scorpio asked as he finally spoke up. He had been silently waiting for Rekino and Rowen to finish their conversation so the game could go on. Now everyone was staring at the two Lady Ronins.  
  
Ryo blinked several times. "Did I miss something here?"  
  
Shades shrugged. "Beats me."  
  
"Rekino, what is it?" Sage asked.  
  
Rekino took a deep breath and tried to breathe slowly so she wouldn't lose her nerve. Finally she just forced it out. "Someone got in my room and stole the film from my Polaroid!" She immediately covered her face.  
  
"Say what?" Now Flash's attention was held.   
  
Rekino repeated what she had said, and stared at the floor. She didn't know what else to say at the moment. Flash stood up. "Well, there's no sense in trying to feel bad now. What's done is done. We'll split into groups and search for the thief."  
  
"Okay," Ryo said. "I think we should also check the city."  
  
"I already searched the castle," Rekino said.  
  
"I doubt the thief would stick around this place," Shades said as she began to put her shoes on.  
  
"She's right," Rowen said. "I can take the west wing of the city with Ryo and Sage."  
  
"I'll take the south with Scorpio and Shades," Flash said.  
  
"I'll take the east side with Hana then," Rekino said.  
  
"Wait a minute," Hana interrupted. "Two questions. First who takes the north side, and two: what about Thunder?"  
  
Rekino looked around. "Yeah, where is Thunder?"  
  
"He was called by his parents," Scorpio explained.  
  
"We should tell Thunder what's going on as well," Flash said as she headed for the door.  
  
"I'll come with you!" Hana declared. And the two girls left the room.  
  
Ryo shook his head. "How much you want to bet that Hana went with her to have another moment with Thunder?"  
  
Rowen and Sage smirked at him, and Rekino lightly punched him on the shoulder. "Bro, you're such a moron!"  
  
Ryo smirked at her. "Thank you, hussy."  
  
"Anytime, dork."  
  
  
  
Amaya wasn't sure how long it would be before she finally blew her temper. So much had been happening, she was certain she would go crazy any moment now. Cye's car was completely damaged. The police were already there, along with the paramedics who were checking Kento's neck. She frowned at her boyfriend, knowing he had whiplash. Each time a paramedic turned his head, Kento would yell and threaten them.  
  
"Kento, take it easy," she told him gently. "They're trying to help you."  
  
"I know," Kento said as he gritted his teeth together. "Man, Rekino did not have to say that about us!"  
  
"I know." Amaya said with a sigh.  
  
Josephine headed where Cye was. He was getting a huge gash in his arm treated, while answering questions to the inquiring police officer.   
  
"And you say you weren't drunk?" the officer asked.  
  
"Do I bloody look drunk?" Cye replied, annoyed.   
  
"Young man, it's my duty to make sure of that," the officer snapped. "You've done wreck-less driving, and you could have been killed or have killed someone else."  
  
"Excuse me! I wasn't driving like a damn maniac. I lost control of the car. You can check me for alcohol or drug usage, or you can attempt to check my car to see if I carry any of it in there," Cye said with fire in his eyes.   
  
Josephine forced herself to stay quiet. She wanted to help Cye tell this cop off. She silently cheered him on though. '_Yeah, you tell him, Cye!_'  
  
'_This guy's a real jerk_,' Cye replied. '_Sheesh, I've seen better officers handle accidents better than this way_.'  
  
"Can you prove you have insurance for your vehicle?"  
  
"Sure I can. Just go to my car and pry the door open, open the dash, and take the papers out."  
  
The officer cast him a glare, but he did go to the car. Cye rolled his eyes as the paramedic spoke to him. "You'll need to get to a hospital as soon as possible and have this stitched up."  
  
"I can take him," Josephine said.  
  
The paramedic nodded and wrapped Cye's right arm up from his elbow to his shoulder. Blood still seeped through, but he wrapped more around the arm, and placed Cye's other hand over it. "Keep your hand on this, applying pressure. Your wound is pretty deep, so make sure you get it taken care of immediately."  
  
Cye nodded and stood up. He stumbled a bit, feeling dizzy from the loss of blood. The paramedic and Josephine grabbed him and helped to support him.   
  
The officer returned then and was ready to talk to Cye again. However Josephine guided Cye toward her car. She cast the officer a glare. "Your questions will need to wait! He's going to the hospital."  
  
And before the officer could say anything else, Josephine got Cye into the car and looked toward Amaya. The smaller girl looked back at her and nodded her head, and soon came along, helping Kento who was holding his neck. When all of them were in the car, Amaya got behind the driver's wheel and the four took off, heading for the nearest hospital, leaving the officer to stand there alone.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile Flash and Hana had requested to see Thunder on important business. When they saw him, their eyes widen, and Hana nearly fainted right there. He looked so handsome, and he truly did look like a prince now. Hana could hardly stop staring. Thunder smiled at her, and she nearly fell over.  
  
Flash got over her shock immediately. "Thunder, something came up. We're going into the city to check it out."  
  
"Should I come then?" Thunder asked.  
  
"No, stay here with your parents," Flash advised. "We'll be back in time for the ball."  
  
Thunder nodded his head. "The ball starts at eight tonight."  
  
Flash checked her watch. "Good. We have about four and a half hours. We'll be back by then. Come on, Hana."   
  
Thunder smiled and shook his head as he watched Flash literally dragging Hana, who was still gawking at him, down the hall. When they were out of sight, he turned and headed back into the throne room again.   
  
Soon enough the two Ronins, the two Lady Ronins, and the three Warriors were all in the city. It had been agreed that after searching their assigned areas, they would meet back at where the Berlin Wall used to stand. They split off into their groups and immediately headed off in separate directions.   
  
  
  
Meanwhile, across the city in a small building which had Tägliche Nachrichten (Daily News) on it, the man was tall, yet overweight, with nearly a baldhead, and thick glasses on his large nose. He held a phone against his ear, his thick fingers nearly hiding the receiver. "Yes, I know. I have the film right here. It's hard to believe it, but I got them. We'll have the biggest cover in history, and maybe even get noticed more by the bigger companies."  
  
He paused for a moment as the other party spoke, his brown eyes drifting down on his desk where two newly photos sat. They were photos of Prince Thunder and of some blond girl kissing on a bed. His lips curled into a huge smile, "Don't worry sir. I'll have the paper ready by tonight."  
  
The person on the other line spoke with authority, "You better!" And hung up quickly.  
  
The man grunted and hung up the phone. He lay back in his chair and stared at the pictures again. He lips curled once again into a smirk and he heard his office door open. He turned around and saw his errand boy walk in, "I suppose you're here for your pay?"  
  
"Yes," The teenager replied.   
  
The man opened a drawer in his desk and handed the young man an envelope. The teenager opened the enveloped and nodded, "I hope that satisfies you. Now, what else do you have to report?"  
  
The young man, Eric, sat down in one of the larger chairs, "Well, those three maids seem to be here for more than a reason than helping the king."  
  
Frank Heinrich raised an eyebrow, "Intriguing."  
  
Eric nodded, "I overheard them talking about helping save Germany and then I followed them to their quarters and they were talking about some kind of planet and reviving their families."  
  
"And they are the kings trusted adversaries, right?" Frank asked. He saw Eric nodded and continued, "Well, your pay is in the envelope. Report back to me when you have acquired more information."  
  
"Yes sir," The boy stood up and gave his boss a manila envelope. He then left the room.  
  
Frank smirked and opened the package. Inside were pictures of the three maids, Missy Kejano, Wendi Yayshu, and Jessica Shenseski. Eric seemed to do his job well. He looked through all of them. He saw one of Missy holding a katana. She was wearing a hooded over coat with different symbols on her white dress. Next was Jessica. She was holding some sort of mace and she was wearing the same as Missy on her dress was a light blue color. Last was Wendi, her outfit was different. She wore a dress, but she didn't have a hood. You could see a faint glow of wings, and in her hand was a bow.   
  
He continued looking through the pictures and noticed that some of the pictures had been stolen. He rolled his eyes; Eric really outdid himself. The first picture was of Wendi. She was standing next to a man her age with blonde hair and blue eyes. In her arms was a little girl that resembled the man, except she had curly hair. He snorted and looked at the other one, which was of Jessica. In the picture, she was holding a baby and standing next to a man with dark brown hair and green eyes, and in his arms was a little boy. The next one was of Missy. She was standing next to what looked like…a unicorn. Frank's eyes widened and he put the pictures away.  
  
"Mister Heinrich?" A voice called from behind the door. A young woman stepped in, "The staff wants to know when to start printing the next edition."  
  
Frank smirked and stood up, handing the envelope with all of the pictures, including the ones of Thunder and the young blonde, to his secretary, "The new edition will be started on as of right now and will be delivered and in the stands before the ball."  
  
"Yes sir!" She replied and shut the door as she left her boss's office.  
  
  
  
Flash, Scorpio, and Shades were looking at every person they saw on the street as they ran across the south side. People blinked at them, then shrugged, figuring perhaps they were looking for someone. How right they were. Shades had almost accused several people, but Flash had backed her off, not sure if they had the photos or not.  
  
"Easy, Shades. The person who has the photos will either be too confident or too scared. Which means he/she will attempt to view the photos in public, or do his/her best to hide them well from public view."  
  
Shades stared at Flash with an annoyed look. "How do you know?"  
  
Flash just grinned at her. "Call it a hunch. Besides, I've seen it happen sometimes."  
  
"Okay, whatever. Let's just find the creep."  
  
The three continued on, hoping the others were having a better time in finding the thief. Scorpio had a feeling that Rekino was probably still beating herself up, for letting this happen, but there was no time for guilt trips. Hopefully they could find the one who did it, and get the pictures back before anything else happened.   
  
They came to a crosswalk and stood there waiting for about five minutes, watching the traffic go by them. Shades was beginning to get impatient and kept on shifting from one foot to another. Scorpio just watching the crosswalk signal. He shook his head. "Gee, this is a long light."  
  
"It needs to hurry the hell up!" Shades grumbled.  
  
Just as she said that, the light did change. Flash looked at Shades. "Wow, it listened to you."  
  
"About time."  
  
The three quickly crossed the street and continued on weaving through their way through the crowds. Scorpio accidentally bumped into a man and looked at him apologetically. He didn't know German, so he was quite uncomfortable. Seeing this, the man just nodded and smiled, and moved around him, continuing on. Scorpio shook his head. "I really need to learn German," he said.  
  
"Yeah, it's not an easy language," Flash said. "When Thunder taught it to me, it took me at least a month to learn how to make three complete sentences and even another four weeks to understand three more sentences spoken to me."   
  
They grew quiet as they went back to their job. So far they hadn't had any luck. No one seemed suspicious to them; there were no people looking over confident or apprehensive and looking around anxiously while trying to hide something. They could only hope the others were having better luck.   
  
  
  
Rekino and Hana were trying their best to find the thief. Rekino was burning with anger, and Hana hadn't even spoken to her since they had parted from the others. Hana had been angry with Rekino for a little bit, but she was getting over it. There was no sense in staying angry with her. They had to find that thief. Both of them were planning on killing him/her, but they knew that killing them wasn't really an option. What should they do then, if they caught that person? Neither of them really knew and the moment, neither really cared. They only wanted to find the thief, get the pictures back, and get back to the castle, all before Thunder found out what happened.   
  
Hana saw a man sitting on a bench. He bore a camera around his neck and was writing on a notepad. She watched him carefully, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. She tapped Rekino's shoulder and directed her attention to the guy. "Think he's the one?" she whispered.   
  
Rekino studied the guy. It was highly possible. But how could they be sure though? Without warning, the man suddenly put his pen away and tucked his notepad into his pocket, and stood up. He turned away from their direction and headed down the sidewalk. The two Lady Ronins immediately followed him.  
  
For a while they managed to keep up with him, but when a bus pulled over to a bus stop, and let passengers off, he was lost to them in the crowd.  
  
"Damn it!" Rekino cursed as she looked around, trying to see over and around people. There were just too many people blocking her view. "Where did he go?!"  
  
Hana was looking around as well, but she couldn't find him either. She looked at Rekino, and jerked her head to another side street. "Let's go this way. Maybe we'll be lucky."  
  
"I doubt it," Rekino muttered, but the two girls crossed the street as quickly as they could and headed down the sidewalk, keeping their eyes out for the man.   
  
  
  
Ryo sighed as he stretched his back. He and Sage had been searching nonstop for an hour now, but they had come no closer to finding who they were looking than when they had first started. Then again, it didn't help much that neither of them spoke the German language.  
  
Both were resting near a grocer's store, each one keeping their eyes out. Sage leaned against a fence, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at Ryo; his face was expressionless, but there was something on his mind.   
  
"Ryo, what do we do if we find this guy?"  
  
Ryo stopped stretching and looked at him, his eyes staring straight ahead as he was thinking. "I guess drag him off to the German police or guards."  
  
"And that would be how? Ryo, neither of us speaks German."  
  
Ryo sighed. "I know that. Maybe we can get Blaze to help us there though. Or maybe find someone that can speak our language or English at least. Let's go though."  
  
"Right."   
  
The two Ronins set off again, each one taking brisk steps down the street. They began to go downhill, their steps increasing more and more. Fewer people were on the streets now, and they began to notice that most were beginning to go into their houses. Some cars were pulling into the driveways. They were people getting off work.   
  
Sage checked his watch real quick. It was nearing 6:30 p.m. They only had an hour and forty-five minutes left to find this guy. He doubted they would, with this being a strange country to him, but stranger things have happened. And he was certain if they didn't find him, one of the others would.  
  
The crowds on the street slowly begin to diminish after a few minutes. It was easier to walk now, and neither of them had to squeeze their way through as much as they had to. They came to a bridge and crossed over it, as fishing boats bobbed in the waters below them.  
  
Ryo sighed. "I'm beginning to think we'll never find this guy."  
  
"Don't give up hope just yet, Ryo. We have to keep trying."  
  
Ryo nodded his head. Sage was right. They couldn't give up. What if the guy was right under their noses? Even if it seemed hopeless they had to keep looking.   
  
  
  
Josephine and Amaya paced out in the waiting room. People glanced at them, frowning, but it wasn't because of the way they were behaving there. The two girls were obviously stressed out, and no one was there to offer them comfort.   
  
It had been at least an hour since they had been there at Kiropathia Hospital. They knew Kento and Cye were being well cared for, but how bad were the damages? Why wouldn't a doctor or nurse, or someone come out and tell them anything?  
  
Amaya finally forced herself to sit down. Pacing wasn't going to help them. Not in their condition. They needed to stay relaxed and remember that their fiancés were in good hands. She looked up at Josephine. "Jo, sit down and try to relax."  
  
"How can you say relax? Our boyfriends nearly get killed, and it's all Rekino's fault, and you say sit down and relax? I can't relax and I won't! Not until…"  
  
The double doors suddenly opened up, and a doctor with graying hair immediately came over to them. "Miss Kazeno and Miss Rei Faun?" The two girls looked at him, and Amaya rose to her feet. "Your boyfriends, Cye Mouri and Kento Rei Faun, have been taken care of, and can now have visitors. We're going to keep them for another five hours for observation. In the meantime I would like to go over their injuries with you."  
  
The two girls nodded and followed him to a more private area. There he told them of the whiplash Kento had received, and how Cye's arm was broken in two places, the two boys also had a few cracked ribs, and some severe bruises, and minor cuts.   
  
As she listened to him, Josephine was getting angrier and angrier. What she wouldn't do to connect with Rekino and take her rage out on her for this.


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

Disclaimer: I refuse to do this again.

Unexpected Consequences

Chapter 23.

Thunder glanced at his gold Rolex watch and saw it was going on near 7:02 p.m. A frown came to his lips. The others had been gone for so long, he worried they wouldn't make it back in time for the beginning of the ball. He looked toward his parents. They were dressed in their best; his father wore a fitting black tuxedo with his dark blue tie tucked down into the ruffles of his collared shirt; his graying hair was smoothed back, and he looked actually quite handsome for being near forty. As for his mother, she was dressed in a sparkling silver and white gown that seemed to shimmer with each delicate movement she had. Her blond hair was done up in a spiral braid that wound into a bun on the top of her head. She had on light make up and her light blue eyes shone in the light, making her look younger than she actually appeared to be.  
  
Thaitus glanced over at his son and blinked a bit. _Odd_, he thought. His friends were nowhere to be seen, and by now more and more people were arriving. Servants had taken the guests' coats and jackets, and people began to mingle with one another after greeting the royal family. Thaitus decided to ask his son a question. He made his way through the crowds and tapped Thunder on the shoulder.  
  
Thunder turned around and smiled a bit at his father. "Hello, dad."  
  
"Hi, son. Thunder, what happened with your friends? Are all of them vain about their looks?" He chuckled good-naturedly to show he meant no harm.   
  
Thunder laughed a bit. "No, they had to go and something. Wouldn't tell me what it was."  
  
"Ah. But they will return in time for the ball?" Thaitus asked. "All the guests are almost here."  
  
"Yes, I know. They said they would be."  
  
"Alright, Thunder," Thaitus said with another nod of his head. "I believe they'll show in time. You claim they've never let you down before, and I trust they won't yet."  
  
Thunder nodded and watched as his father went back to his mother. He smiled and turned away as he glanced toward the doors, watching more people file in. And so he continued to wait for his friends.   
  
  
  
Having no luck finding the thief, Rekino and Hana made their way to the destroyed Berlin Wall. They saw the others there and immediately ran up to join the group. Both of the Lady Guardians could tell by the look on the others faced that they hadn't found anything either.  
  
Flash looked up and saw the two missing girls run up to them, "Any luck?"  
  
Rekino let her head fall, "No. We saw someone who looked suspicious, but we lost him in the crowd."  
  
Hana clinched her fists, "We looked everywhere! Where in the name of God could this sleezeball be?!"  
  
Ryo sighed in frustration and glanced at his watch. They had less than an hour to find this creep and stop him from making the news known worldwide. He look up to the sky and wondered if he would ever be able to return home and catch Mia before so she could accompany him to the ball.  
  
"Hey Ryo," Rowen spoke bringing the Wildfire Warrior out of his trance, "Why don't you contact Kayura and get her to take you home?"  
  
"I can't just leave you guys here," Ryo said.  
  
Scorpio raised an eyebrow, "Dude, we can handle this ourselves. You have a woman and child back home."  
  
Rekino smiled, "Yeah, bro! Go home and fetch Mia before I make you go."  
  
Ryo glared at his little sister before he smiled, "I'll still feel guilty for leaving you guys here."  
  
"Don't sweat it!" Flash exclaimed and put an arm around his shoulder, "We'll find the man and take him down, no problem!"  
  
"Okay, I guess, but you guys promise that you won't have any trouble?"  
  
Everyone nodded his or her approval. Ryo smiled and hugged each of his friends and took off towards the woods. He closed his eyes and concentrated on calling the last living ancient. When he felt confident, he opened his tiger blue eyes and saw Kayura standing in front of him, looking curious.  
  
"What is it, Wildfire?"  
  
"I need you to take me back home so I can get Mia and return here for the ball."  
  
Kayura nodded and raised the Ancient's Staff in the air. In seconds, a white light engulfed the room and they two were sent back to Toyama, Japan. Ryo sighed in relief - it felt good to be home. He stood outside his home and looked over at Kayura, "Could you stay here for a few minutes?"  
  
"I might as well," Kayura said, looking towards Ryo with amusement, "I suppose you're going to ask me to baby sit your child while I am here as well."  
  
Ryo smirked, "You never know." He walked up to the door and knocked lightly. When he got no answer, he decided on ringing the doorbell instead. Maybe that would've helped from the start, but he wasn't thinking right. He heard footsteps coming down the stair and he smirked.  
  
"I'm coming!" A familiar and missed voice said.  
  
"Mia…" Ryo whispered.  
  
The Strata Guardian had been inside her home tending to her young son, Hiroshi. She walked into the living room and placed the baby in his playpen, and then opened the door and stood in shock. Right there, in front of her eyes, was the one person she had wanted to see in months, and damn, it felt good to look into his eyes once again, "Ryo?"  
  
"Hey, did ya miss me?"  
  
"More than you know," Mia eyes clouded with tears of happiness and sorrow. She smiled, "Oh, I have someone that would like to meet you." She opened the door completely to let Ryo and Kayura in and pointed at the object next to the television, "Go on."  
  
Ryo slowly, but surely, walked over and peered inside the box-shaped playpen. Inside, he saw his son oohing and ahhing at the little things above his head. The Wildfire Bearer couldn't help but smile and cry at the sight of his son. He felt Mia's arms wrap around him from behind, "Is that my son?"  
  
"Yes, that's Hiroshi," Mia said into his ear, "Go ahead, sweetheart. He's not going to bite."  
  
Okay, we'll start out by saying Ryo was just a little bit nervous. Sure, he had a little sister, but she was a year younger than he was, so he really didn't have any experience with holding babies. With shaking hands, he reached down and picked up his son, supporting his head with his arm. The strong since of pride Ryo help at that moment didn't come close to anything he had ever felt in his life as his son looked up at him with the same eyes he bore, "Hi there, Hiroshi. I'm your dad, Ryo," He stroked the baby's short, stubby brown hair as his tears fell down his face.  
  
Hiroshi cooed up at the man and grabbed Ryo's index finger, tugging it lightly. He made a gurgling sound and laughed as he waved his father's hand around.  
  
Mia smiled happily as she walked beside her love and kissed his cheek. "Welcome home, Ryo."  
  
  
  
Back at the Tägliche Nachrichten, the reporting staff had just finished the evening newspaper and was ready to send the trucks to the deliver stands. Frank Heinrich stood in his office, smirking, as he looked over the paper that would write them down in history. The front cover was not only posted with the daily news of Germany, but it contained the picture of Prince Thunder kissing the blonde on a bed.  
  
"This is going to make our company rich!" He exclaimed and started to read the article deeper inside the newspaper. His smirk grew when he noticed the picture of the King's trusted advisors.  
  
A knock at the door startled him…  
  
"I'm busy right now! Come back later!"  
  
The person, or should I say, persons didn't like that answer, so, they broke down the door. Frank looked up from his chair and almost had a heart attack. Standing in front of his desk was none other than were Wendi, Missy, and Jessica, the King's maids. Missy also had the wrist of another person - it was Eric.  
  
Frank tried his best to stay calm, "I'm sorry ladies, as I said, I'm quite busy, so could you come back later?"  
  
Wendi crossed her arms over her chest, "No."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
Missy, who was usually the calm one in any situation, threw Eric onto Frank's desk and gave the older man a harsh glare, "Listen you son-of-a-bitch, we know that you had this little shit head enter the castle, sneak around, and gather precious information about us and Prince Thunder!"  
  
Frank snorted, "That's ridiculous! I would do no such thing!"  
  
Jessica slammed her hands down on the man's desk, "Don't give me that load of cow shit! If you don't give us back everyone of the pictures, or else I'll…"  
  
"You'll what? You have no power here. You're merely servants of the King!"  
  
Missy and Jessica both growled, and were about to strangle the older man, when Wendi stepped forward, looking rather calm, considering she was usually the ill mannered one, "I'm sorry, but you leave me no choice."  
  
"What are you about to do?" Frank asked as his voice began to waver.  
  
Wendi smiled innocently and looked over at Missy and Jessica. Close your ears. This may get ugly. Both of the girls nodded and the young Priestess started humming a sweet little tune.  
  
Frank and Eric raised an eyebrow as they listened to the humming of the young woman. Soon, she started to sing her beautiful Alto voice filling the office.  
  
"Unwavering seas of flame, how dost thou captivate me. Unrushing in a mood divine, you yourself then became mine. Take to heart of what once was said, for dost thou knowest what thine own heart contends? Unwavering seas of flame you live for what it is true, but to me you canst bear with me in a sea of pain."  
  
Frank's head feel to the side. He blinked several times to try and stay awake, but he couldn't. His eyes soon closed as his head feel to the side. Eric had dozed off long ago, curled up in a ball next to Frank's desk. Missy and Jessica unplugged their ears and stared at Wendi, who seemed to be looking rather sad.  
  
Both of the girls knew why.  
  
Missy put a hand on her friends shoulder, "Why did you sing _that_ song?"  
  
Wendi quickly wiped the tears from her eyes as she looked at her friend, "Honestly, it was the first one that came to my head."  
  
Jessica looked at her friend, "He wrote that song for you, which showed his love as well."  
  
The three friends stood there for what seemed like an eternity. The trio thought of their past lives with their husbands and children. If only they could've saved them…  
  
The blonde priestess shook her head, "I could've done without those nasty memories."  
  
"Well, we know what we have to do," Jessica started, "Missy, would you like to do the honors?"  
  
Missy smirked, "Of course. I'm the only one able to possess his body, as you know."  
  
  
  
Rekino stopped in the middle of the street, throwing her hands in the air, "Okay, that's it! We're never gonna find this guy!" She sat down on the sidewalk Indian style and put her head in her hands, "This is all my fault! God, I feel so damn stupid."  
  
Rowen sat down beside his girlfriend and place a hand on her shoulder, "Stop blaming yourself."  
  
Flash smirked, "Yeah. Well, that and the fact that we've searched all over the city. We're bound to find him sooner or later."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Rekino sighed again.  
  
Hana stood in place with her arms crossed, deep in thought. She kept wondering if the pictures had gotten as far as the local newsstands or not. She felt really bad for what was happening. Even though she should blame Rekino, she was equally to blame. After all, she was the one who had kissed Thunder.  
  
Flash sighed deeply, then grasped Rekino by the shoulder and pulled her to her feet, "Listen, were never gonna find him if we all just stand here," she said firmly. "Now lets stop bellyaching and get a move on!"  
  
Rekino tore her arm free from Flash and walked away a few feet, shaking her head and muttering something incoherent in Japanese. Rowen, Hana, and Flash all gave her a look, just wondering what that was all about. They decided to give her a few more minutes to compose herself.  
  
When at last Rekino was calm, she turned and walked back over to them. "Okay, lets go."  
  
"Are you sure your okay, Rekka?" Rowen asked with concern.  
  
"I'm fine," Rekino said. "Just ready to kick some major ass right now!" She threw her fist into the air to emphasis her point.   
  
"Then lets go," Hana declared and immediately headed off.  
  
The others followed her immediately, each one keeping an eye out for the thief. Scorpio began to get a weird feeling suddenly, and he immediately looked over at a busy intersection, his sky blue eyes narrowed in concentration.  
  
Sage immediately noticed his look and cocked an eyebrow up at him. "What's the matter, Scorpio?"  
  
"I'm not sure," the Warrior replied. "But it feels like something's telling me to go that way, toward those public buildings there on the strip."  
  
"Why do you think that?" Rekino asked him.  
  
"If I knew Id tell you," Scorpio said softly.  
  
"Hey, lets check it out anyway," Rowen said. "Who knows we may find something."  
  
And so they changed direction, walked quickly to the corner, waited for several vehicles to pass, crossed over, and walked down the sidewalk, heading toward that particular strip. The closer they got, the more Scorpio's feeling became stronger. He didn't know what was pulling him there, but he was bound to find out. He only hoped it would lead them to the one they were searching for.  
  
  
  
The man's body jerked and grunted as Missy became transparent and floated within him. He yelled out, but his voice was quickly stifled from yelling out further. Wendi and Jessica continued to watch. The first part of the possession was always horrid. When at last Missy had full control, she then began to silently summon the prince's friends, particularly one.   
  
"Do you think she can do it?" Jessica asked Wendi.  
  
Wendi gave a firm nod as she continued to watch. She knew that whenever Missy possessed someone, she could no longer hear them, and so they would have to wait for her to finish in order to speak with her. "I'm sure of it," she replied. "She's done this a dozen times."  
  
Jessica nodded and crossed her fingers.  
  
  
  
Ryo laughed merrily as his son cooed at him. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine he would be a father. The baby seemed to have his fiery personality, and it was amazing at how intelligent he seemed for being so young. Could it be because he was the next in line for the Armor of Wildfire? Ryo was certain of it. The moment his son became old enough, he planned to teach him the ways of the Ronins and their skills. It was going to be hard at first, but in the end, he knew it would pay off.  
  
Hiroshi yawned just then, and Ryo smiled tenderly down at him. He glanced over at the couch for a moment, and smiled more as he watched Mia sleep. She had fallen asleep earlier, filled with calmness, and that made him all the more glad. He turned his attention back to his son who let out another yawn.   
  
"I think its time to lay you down too," he said softly. The baby blinked at him, then laid his head on his fathers shoulder as Ryo carried him out to the kitchen. There he made a fresh bottle, grabbed the receiving blanket, and went back into the living room where he sat down in the rocking chair, and fed his son as he rocked him slowly to sleep.  
  
  
  
Missy continued to possess the editor's body, softly calling out to Scorpio, the one who was more closer to Thunder than any other Warrior, the one who felt he owed Thunder his life, had Thunder not took him home with him the first day he had met him. She could feel her unwilling host struggling with her, but continued to hold fast onto him. She wasn't letting this one get away. No way.  
  
She could feel them coming and it would only be a matter of time before they arrived there.  
  
Wendi and Jessica continued to watch her; always intrigued by the way she handled her victims to the full extent. Oh, she wouldn't hurt them, for that wasn't her nature to do so.   
  
Wendi went over to the front of the large window to watch for the Ronins, Lady Guardians, and Warriors to come. She could feel the editor struggling weakly in Missy's power, but never once did she feel sorry for him. He got what came to him, and that was it. Then suddenly her eyes lifted a bit more, and she could see them. They were coming down the street, heading toward the very building they were in. She looked over her shoulder. "Sisters, they are coming."  
  
"Good," Missy's voice echoed from within the editor. "I do not wish to hold onto his body much longer."  
  
"Amen," Jessica said with a nod of her head.  
  
Wendi smirked and closed the blinds to the office so no one could see in. She nodded towards Missy, "The show's all yours, sister."  
  
Missy nodded and opened the office door, leaving Jessica and Wendi inside to wait for their sister's return. Jessica looked at her older sibling as she wringed her fingers, "Do you think she'll be able to pull it off?"  
  
Wendi rolled her eyes and looked at Jessica's worried face, "Who are we talking about here? You and I both know that Missy will get the job done right. She always has."  
  
"I guess your right," Jessica smiled, "But how do you know that the teenagers won't know we're manipulating him?"  
  
Wendi smiled evilly, "Well, once upon a time there was this chicken…"

  
  
As they neared the building, Flash, Sage, and Hana stopped in their stride. All of the others looked back at their comrades. Rekino raised an eyebrow and put a hand on her hip.  
  
"Uh…is there a problem?" Rekino asked sarcastically.  
  
Flash closed her eyes and concentrated, "There's a spirit nearby. Something is happening in that building. The power is off the wall!"  
  
Scorpio looked towards the building. He still felt like something was pulling him towards it, but he didn't know what it was. It felt like someone was guiding him…making him see the light. But in some cases, walking towards the light isn't a good thing.  
  
Hana looked towards the building and frowned. She could feel it too. Like something heavy was going down inside that building. The power surged through her body, and, through the link she shared with Sage; she knew he was feeling the same thing too.  
  
Rowen rubbed his chin, "What's happening?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Flash started. "But the power is amazing! It's like nothing I've ever felt before."  
  
Shades's eyes narrowed into slits, "I say we check it out. I certainly don't want to be caught off guard like last time."  
  
All nodded their heads in agreement and hurried off towards the building, all with a fear of another enemy on its way.  
  
  
  
Wendi tapped her foot. She was becoming quite irritated with the whole situation. _What is taking Missy so damn long? She should already be done with it._ She lifted up the blinds again and panicked, "Shit fire and save the matches."  
  
Jessica raised an eyebrow, "What?"  
  
"This isn't good," The Priestess of Songs commented. She turned her head slightly in Jessica's direction, "They're picking up pace. Missy needs to hurry the hell up and we need to get the hell outta here."  
  
Just then, the door opened and closed, which startled the two women. Slumped up against the wall was an unconscious Frank, and besides him, Missy had both of her arms crossed, tapping her index finger lightly on her elbow, "You were saying?"  
  
Jessica looked down at Frank. The man's head was slumped against his chest as he laid limply against the wall with his legs outstretched, and his arms hanging limply at his sides. She knew that anyone who was ever possessed by Missy would always fall into a state of unconsciousness, and when they awoke, they could never remember what had taken place. And now since the main problem was out of the way, they only had to worry about the Ronins and Lady Guardians, and the Warriors coming. It was definitely time to help them find those pictures.

Wendi's right ear lifted up a bit as she heard footsteps. Even though they were low in sound she could still pick up the slightest trace of them. She looked over at her sisters. "They're here," she stated plainly. The two other girls nodded, knowing it was time. They immediately left the room and set to work. Wendi grabbed the original photos of Hana and Prince Thunder and the copies of the film and set them within eye's sight, right on the corner of the first empty desk. Jessica quickly contacted the other news media and arranged it so that the copies would not be forwarded it to them, putting a stop to each one, by phone and fax, while Missy got on the internet and arranged for any email that may have been sent to be instantly destroyed. How they managed to do it all in time, or even how was a mystery that was best not explained. The door opened and Hana and Rekino walked in first, followed by the others. Rekino looked around, seeing the front office was busy. Just her luck. She wanted to find the creep who stole those pictures and beat the crap out of them. Flash walked over by the desk, immediately noticing the photos and the copies of them. "Found the photos, but where is everyone?" "That's what I'd like to know," Rekino growled as she walked around another desk, looking up and down the room. "Seems like everyone went out for a coffee break," Scorpio commented. "At the same time?" Rowen voiced as he gave him a glance. The Current bearer shrugged in response. Shades walked down a smaller hallway, her eyes searching each opened room she passed by. She couldn't believe everyone would just leave an entire office building at the same time without locking the place up. It didn't make sense to her one bit. As she passed one room she thought she saw something, and turned her head to look in a smaller office room. Nothing was there. She shrugged figuring she only imagined things and continued onward. Inside the room, Missy sighed heavily as Wendi glanced down at her. "That was a close one," she said, placing one hand over her heart. Wendi nodded in agreement, pressing her lips together as she was thinking. "It surprises me she saw you though. No one should have." "Well, she did think it was just her imagination, so let's not worry about that," Jessica said quietly. Shades continued onward down the narrow hallway until she came to the very last room on the right side. The door was opened fully, the light was on, and there was an unconscious figure slumped up against the wall. After doing a quick check, she called for the others. "I found him!" It didn't take the others long to get there. Sage checked the man over as everyone stood around him, waiting. When he finished he looked at the others. "This man's been possessed, by what I can't tell for sure." "Is he possessed now?" Hana asked him as she stared down at the slumped figure. Sage shook his head as Rekino came closer and inspected the guy, and then placed one hand on her hip, studying intensely. "Well, Rekino," Sage asked as he looked back at her, "is he the one?" "If his nametag says manager and editor, then I've just died and gone to heaven," Rekino declared. "I say that means yes," Rowen said with a smile. "Well, now that we've found him, what do we do with him?" Scorpio asked. "Thunder has no idea of what happened, and neither does the king and queen." "And we intend to keep it that way too," Flash said with a smirk. "Something tells me you've got an idea," Hana said as she glanced warily at her. Flash's smile brightened. "Don't I always?" In just a matter of ten minutes, Sage and Rowen had placed the unconscious manager in a safer place, near the front of the office, while Scorpio, Shades, and Hana got out of the building immediately. Rekino stood near Flash, watching as the girl set fire to the back of the kitchen, near the stove, making it look as if the stove's cord short circuited. She commanded the fire to go no further than the kitchen door, and the flames jumped and danced at her order. Then she and Rekino left the kitchen, grabbed Sage and Rowen, and joined the other three waiting outside. "Done," Flash said. "Then let's get these pictures back where they belong," Rekino said as she placed the photos inside her pocket. 


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

Disclaimer: Why should I sound like a broken record?  
  
Unexpected Consequences   
Chapter 24.  
  
Thunder looked at his watch again. It was five minutes before the start of the ball. He looked around the entire room, watching as guests mingled with one another. So far his friends had not arrived and he was beginning to wonder where they were. He knew they would eventually show up, but would that be in time? Then he began to worry. What if they were in trouble? What if someone had attacked them, and they were all fighting now? What if one of them was injured? What if it was Hana?!   
  
He started to panic and when he could take no more, he decided to connect with Flash just to see if everyone was all right. He never got that chance. The door opened, and in filed: Scorpio, Sage, Rekino, Shades, Hana, and Flash.   
  
A smile came to his face as he made his way toward them. People who were in his way, quickly parted to let him pass on through, and soon he stood before them. He stared at them with a slight cock of his head to exhibit his curiosity. "Where you were you guys at? Surely you weren't fighting someone?"  
  
All of them looked at one another, and then finally everyone looked at Rekino. The Lady Ronin Guardian of Wildfire stared at the floor, her amethyst eyes narrowed. She knew why they were all staring at her, and she really didn't want to go through with it. But she knew that sooner or later he would find out, and it was just best to tell him now.  
  
"Thunder," she said, quietly as she looked up into his eyes. "I have a confession to make."  
  
Thunder stared down at her and waited for her to continue. Whatever she had to say must have been very important, for never had he seen her look so serious unless it involved a new enemy. He wondered what it could be though and just how important it was.   
  
The others were very quiet now, and no one even thought of interrupting them. As he waited for Rekino to say what she had to say, Hana joined his side and he held her close to him, still waiting patiently.  
  
Finally, Rekino spoke. "That night you and Hana were in the bedroom and I took those pictures of you, and I got angry at you for the two tricks you pulled on me, I put the camera in my room.. When I left the room for a little while, someone broke into it, and stole the camera."  
  
Thunder continued to listen as she told them how they managed to track down the culprit all the way to the Tägliche Nachrichten, where they had found the editor unconscious on the floor and the photos on a desk. By the time she finished, she waited to see what he would say.  
  
For a while he didn't speak. He stood there quietly, thinking of all that had happened during these past several months and how it seemed to have changed them all, and even bringing them closer to one another as friends and as lovers. "Do you have the pictures now?" he asked her.  
  
Rekino nodded and reached into her pocket and pulled them out, and handed them to him. She watched as he went through them all, quietly saying, "They're all there, Thunder." He didn't answer her as he stopped at one picture, frowning a little bit.  
  
"What's the matter?" Scorpio asked him, raising his eyebrows at his best friend's frown.   
  
Thunder continued to study that one photograph with an unhappy expression. He shook his head. "This picture is just so wrong," he said. "I mean look at it. I don't take pictures well at all. Rekino, you caught my bad side!"  
  
Rekino gasped as she stared back at him then, when she saw him smiling, she couldn't help but laugh at him. "How was I to know that?"  
  
Hana smiled and pulled Thunder closer to her, smirking a little bit, "I think it was a lovely photo and a memory keeper." And saying no more, she kissed him fully on the lips.  
  
The couple had either completely forgotten about the crowd around them or chose to ignore them as cheers and clapping sounds surfaced. Shades cleared her throat loudly, Scorpio shifted his feet, Rowen wrapped his arms around Rekino from behind as she placed her head on his shoulder, and Sage placed his arm around Flash's waist as she leaned into him. The six warriors were all watching their two friend's showing of affection.  
  
Thunder and Hana pulled apart quickly, but lingered on each other's lips. Thunder smiled down at Hana and kissed her forehead as the blonde woman smiled up at him.  
  
"Now," Hana began, "if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready for this little shindig your father brewed up." She reached up on her tiptoes and gave him a very quick kiss before retreating out of the ballroom.  
  
Thunder turned towards the others, "My father arranged for the designer company to bring the whole line of clothing here so you guys could choose what you want to wear."  
  
Rekino raised her head off of Rowen's shoulder to look at the prince, "Free of charge?"  
  
"Free of charge," Thunder said.  
  
"Oh…hell yeah. Free shit. About time we were treated like royalty!" Rekino wiggled free of her boyfriend's grip and kissed him on the cheek. "Gotta go get ready!"  
  
Flash watched the younger girl retreat out of the ballroom. She raised an eyebrow, "I thought she didn't like to wear dresses."  
  
Rowen shrugged, "Normally she doesn't, but…it's Rekino. What can I say? She likes free stuff. The less money she has to spend, the happier she'll be."  
  
Laughter rose amongst the teenage group after hearing Rowen's comment about his girlfriend. But he was right. The less money Rekino had to spend, the happier she was, and as it was standing, she was already promising herself to pay Flash back all the money she'd spent on their little "trip".  
  
Thunder looked around and noticed that most of the guests were still mingling around his friends. He glanced down at his watch and frowned, "Not to sound rude, but you guys have to be dressed and in the hall by seven. That's in like three minutes."  
  
"I guess we better high tail it upstairs then, huh?" Scorpio laughed as he hugged Thunder one last time before going upstairs. The others followed shortly after saying their goodbyes to the German Prince.  
  
Hana was standing in front of the mirror with a smile on her face. The other girls had entered the room shortly after she did, Rekino being the first, and were now looking through the racks of apparel. She touched her lips, still feeling those delicious lips upon hers. Those lips had tasted like cinnamon and honey, and she could feel her insides burn with passion. Upon kissing Thunder, she had smelled an exotic smell emanating from his body and it burned her loins. She was positive he was not wearing any cologne, and if he was, she'd have to ask him what kind it was. She then glanced at the clock and cussed. She only had a few minutes to get ready.  
  
Flash, Shades, and Rekino all turned when they heard Hana curse out loud and start to frantically get her things together. They couldn't help but laugh as the blonde girl rushed with taking her clothes off. Seeing Hana running around in her bra and panties was a funny sight, actually. It reminded the three girls of a chicken running around with its head cut off.  
  
"Hana," Rekino started, "if you don't chill out, I'm going lock you out of this dressing room for the whole world to see."  
  
"I can't!" The blonde paced back and work muttering about how repulsing she looked. "I have to fix my hair, put on makeup, pick out a dress…AH! I haven't even took a shower today! I probably smell!"  
  
Flash shook her head and turned back around to the clothes rack, "Let's just ignore her for now. She'll eventually figure out what she's doing."  
  
Rekino laughed and patted Flash on the back and looked over towards Shades, "Which one do you like? It's free, you know! Free meaning we ain't got to pay shit!"  
  
"Free stuff is good," Shades said smiling at Rekino. She picked up the edge of a dress and frowned. "I hate dressing up."  
  
Flash nodded, "I agree, somewhat. At least we aren't paying for it."  
  
"I suggest we get our stuff and go before Hana runs us over trying to pick out what she wants to wear," Rekino stated as she reached for a dress. Flash and Shades nodded and they both reached for a dress they'd been keeping an eye on.  
  
In the guys room, Scorpio stood in front of the full length mirror as he fix his tux. Behind him, Sage and Rowen were putting on their shoes as they chatted away. The Warrior of Current was happy to know that the group could actually _relax_ now that the threat of Germany was now over. He turned back towards his new friends.  
  
"Ready to go?" He asked calmly.  
  
Sage, who was applying a little cologne, nodded his head, "Yeah. I hope the girls are ready by now. Knowing Hana, she's probably frantically running around trying to figure out what she's suppose to be doing."  
  
"You don't know how right you are, Sage."  
  
The guys turned around to see Flash standing in the doorway. Sage's jaw dropped on the floor as he took in the sight of her. The blue, spaghetti strap dresses barely touched the floor. The creamy skin of her shoulder's looked smooth and sleek as they glittered under the lights. The chest area of the dress had flower designs embroidered on it and going down in a small, three in line to the bottom of her dress. She didn't bother doing anything with her hair, so she just left it down. To the others, it looked better that way.  
  
Sage let out a low whistle, "Damn babe. You look…well, I don't think I should say it. I might get slapped."  
  
Flash smiled, "Go ahead."  
  
The Ronin of Halo didn't miss a beat, "You look good enough to eat."  
  
A voice from behind Flash startled the group, "Okay, Hannibal Lecture, calm down. She's our leader. We kinda need her, ya know."  
  
Everyone looked behind Flash to see Shades standing with her arms crossed. The Warrior of Ataxia's dress reflected in a dark green hue. The dress touched the floor and her three-inch heels sparkled under the florescent lights. Her hair was tied in a bun on the back of her head as a braid outlined the bun. She wore little makeup, but looked gorgeous nonetheless.  
  
"Nice," Scorpio nodded. He smiled at his comrade. "Who did you hair?"  
  
"Uhh…" A hand rose behind the two female Warriors, "Credit goes to me."  
  
Shads and Flash stepped aside and let Rekino walk in the room. Rowen's blue eyes wandered over his fiancée's body. For the evening, Rekino wore a quarter sleeved, shiny red dress. Some of her ankle length black hair was tied in a bun as the rest was pulled through the center of the bun and hung down to her hips. The Guardian of Wildfire chose to wear no makeup tonight, deciding it would be too much trouble. The aroma of her perfume, Clinque Happy, was soon spread around the room.  
  
Rowen walked over to her and touched their lips together softly, "Gorgeous."  
  
Rekino blushed, "Thank you."  
  
Scorpio looked at the girls and then back at the guys, doing a quick head count, "We're missing one. Where's Hana?"  
  
"Weeeeeeell…she's not _quite_ ready yet. She said about five more minutes. I don't know what that girl's doing. She just needs to throw on a dress, fix her hair, slip on some shoes and BOOM…ready to go," Rekino said quickly as she took Rowen's hand and stepped outside the door.  
  
Sage looked down at his watched as he looped his other arm through Flash's, "Let's hope she's not late. We got exactly forty-five seconds to be down in the ballroom."  
  
Shades, who opted to have Scorpio walk her down the stairs, looped her right arm through his left, "Less talk. More walk."  
  
The group laughed as they closed the door to the dressing room and headed downstairs where the festival was being held.  
  
Guests were spread out around the ballroom, the ladies in dashing gowns of splendor, their escorts dressed handsomely in array of colorful tuxedoes. Servants had brought more delicious food out and only the finest feast in Germany had been made for just this occasion. Soft music was played by the best band there was: The Heiko was softly playing enchanting music with their trombones, piano, violins, drums, flutes, and cymbals. Amidst all, stood Thunder, carefully waiting and watching for Hana. He saw his friends enter and smiled in greeting at them. Rekino gave him a look, which said: "She's still taking her sweet time in getting ready."  
  
Thunder understood this and continued to wait, while his friends mingled with other guests.  
  
Thaitus came and stood beside him, overlooking the guests, with his arms clasped behind his back, as he stood there dignified. "Well, it seems this ball is getting off to a great start, don't you agree?" He said to his son.  
  
Thunder nodded in reply, his visible right light blue eye still searching. "Yes," he answered, "and the people seem to be enjoying themselves as well. I expect this ball to last all night long?"  
  
"Indeed," his father said with a smile and a laugh. "When we give balls, we give balls!" Thunder smiled at him, and his father calmed and changed the subject. "Speaking of such, where is that lovely girl of yours? What was her name now…ah, Hana!"  
  
Thunder looked at him now as he himself wondered when she would appear. He longed to hold her in his arms again, to dance with her throughout the night, and just feel her beside him. "She is still getting ready from what I understand."  
  
Thaitus was nonplussed and he turned his attention to the clock mounted on the wall. The ball would begin less than thirteen seconds, and she still had not appeared. How could one girl take so much time in getting ready for such an event? He turned his attention back to Thunder. "Well, son, even though she may be slow at getting ready, I'd say this girl is a keeper for sure. Do not lose her, and do not let her lose you. You two make a perfect match and I want to see it continue that way for the rest of your lives." He gave his son a gentle squeeze on the shoulder and returned to his wife who stood near the dais, chatting with some friends of her own.  
  
Thunder watched him go, then something caught his eye and he turned toward his right and gasped. For lo and behold stood Hana, dressed so beautifully in a adoring green emerald gown that it took his breath away and he forgot how to breathe for a moment.  
  
The dress was made of satin and clung to her body like a second skin. It had no straps, and her bare shoulders glimmered under the ballroom lights. Hana had chose to leave her hair down for the night and the blonde, curly tresses seemed to shimmer as well as the ends touched the middle of her back. Her makeup was light, which was hard for her to do. Her five-inch emerald green heels made her almost as tall as her date.  
  
Thunder stared in awe at her, his eyes never leaving her body as they beheld her. She was so beautiful in his eyes. For a moment the world disappeared between them. He held her in his strong arms, gazing deep into her left eye. The people around them once again watched with fascination, and the king and queen smiled down upon them.  
  
"You look so exquisite, Hana," Thunder told her in a sincere voice. His voice was soft, meant for her ears alone, and not even Flash who had excellent hearing had heard him say these words. Hana blushed at him as she gave him a loving hug. Her heart hammered within her chest and she nearly felt faint. Here was the man she loved, a man she had always dreamt of. And now to be held in his arms in front of a large crowd was like a dream come true.  
  
Thaitus clapped his hands suddenly, getting everyone's attention, including the two lovebirds. With a smile as he raised his goblet of wine, he proclaimed: "Let the ball begin!"  
  
The lights dimmed down and silver colored disco lights spun around creating a calming effect of sparkling showers of light on the guests. Men, young and elderly took their ladies' hands and took them to the middle of the room and began to dance with them. Colors seem to intertwine with one another and one could not tell where one side began and the other ended. The Ronins, Lady Guardians, and the Warriors were enjoying themselves as they took up their partners and danced the night away.  
  
As Hana laid her head on Thunder's shoulder, she sighed happily through her nose and thought quietly to herself. T_his is like a dream come true. Here dancing in the arms with the hottest guy, and of royal blood no less. And if this is a dream I never want to wake up.  
  
_  
  
Back at the hospital, Cye and Kento were being treated by separate physicians in different rooms as their two loved ones stayed waiting anxiously in the waiting room. Josephine tried to distract herself from worry by reading a magazine while Amaya watched a soap opera on the television. The hours seemed to tick by and quite a few times Josephine stood up, ready to march into that ward and demand to know what was going on, but one look from Amaya would cause her to sit down again.  
  
"I know how you feel, Jo," Amaya said quietly. "But we must be patient. They'll come out when they're finished."  
  
Josephine nodded and leaned back in her chair as her brow creased in worry. "I just wish I knew how they were. They've been back there for two hours already. How long does it have to take?"  
  
Amaya shook her head as she glanced back at the door. The girls continued to wait as the minutes agonizingly ticked on by. Quite a few times Josephine tossed and turned on that hard plastic chair and almost acted as if she were going to get up and march right through those double doors that led to Emergency. But she opted to remain still.  
  
Amaya twirled her hair around her finger as her eyes drifted to the clock. The big hand slowly moved to another minute. A sigh escaped her lips. How much longer would it have to be? She asked herself. Her mind no longer on the soap opera, she decided to occupy her mind by reading a Home and Garden Magazine.  
  
Josephine, on the other hand, had turned her attention to the television set. She scowled when she discovered it was another soap opera and wondered how to change the darn television set. Just as she was about to get up and change the station manually, a doctor stepped into the room.   
  
"Excuse me," he said, getting both of their attentions, "Cye Mouri and Kento Rei Faun are ready to go soon."  
  
"Well, it's about time!" Josephine cried out with an air of impatience.  
  
"Josephine!" Amaya scolded. She turned to the doctor and smiled sweetly at him. "Are they in the back getting ready to go?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," the doctor replied. "Follow me, and I'll lead you to them."  
  
Cye looked up the moment Josephine came barreling through the closed curtain. The first words out of her mouth were, "Are you all right! Do you hurt anywhere? Did the doctors take real good care of you? If they didn't, I'll pound them one!"

Amaya on the other hand was a bit gentler as she asked Kento how he felt and what type of medication did the doctor give him for pain.   
  
"Babe, I'm just fine," Cye reassured Josephine with a smile. "I'm in pain, but nothing like medication and some sleep wouldn't cure."  
  
"That's good to hear," Josephine said as she kissed him right then and there. Amaya cleared her throat to specify this wasn't the place for that, and Josephine backed off Cye, giving him one of her famous smiles.  
  
"Anyway, what do you say we all get out of here?" Kento said as he stood up. He grimaced in pain a bit, but managed to settle himself enough to walk. Everyone agreed and the four of them walked out of the emergency room, and then out of the hospital.   
  
As they were heading to the car, Amaya looked at them both. "Weren't you two in different hospital rooms?"  
  
"Well yes, we were," Cye answered. "But Kento and I got bored sitting by ourselves, so we found each other in Kento's room, and just waited for you together."  
  
"Uh huh," Josephine said as the car doors were opening. "And why did only one doctor come and get us?"  
  
"Probably because the other doctor told him of our condition as well as he knew his own patient's condition?" Kento suggested with a shrug.  
  
Amaya and Josephine shrugged and everyone got in the car. Josephine started the engine up, and drove the car out of the parking lot and into the street, leaving the hospital far behind.


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

Unexpected Consequences  
Chapter Twenty-Five

Disclaimer: **Look it up in the dictionary.**

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* * *

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It had been exactly one week since the ball in Germany where the group of mystical armored heroes laughed, danced, and had a wonderful time. Time passed by so fast after the ball that everyone had lost track of time. It was until Rowen mentioned something about Mia that Rekino realized that, back at home, she had a little nephew to spoil rotten. After a talk with the group, everyone decided that it would be best to go home and today just happened to be the day.

Rekino was in the room she shared with Rowen, packing up their things while the Strata warrior helped.

"Do you think that the others'll be pissed that we stayed gone for so long?" the raven haired girl asked her fiancé.

Rowen shrugged. "Nah, not too bad, but I'm sure they'll complain about not getting a vacation."

Rekino laughed and kissed Rowen's cheek gently. He gave her a sloppy grin and pulled her close. "How's Hana taking the whole 'leaving Thunder' situation?"

"Not well," a sigh escaped pink tinted lips. "She doesn't want to leave him, but she knows she has a duty back home, and our first semester of college in less than two weeks. For the most part, she's happy that at least she's getting to spend time with him now."

"I couldn't imagine being over two thousand miles away from you," the blue haired genius murmured into Rekino's hair. "I'd die."

"Pshit," Rekino replied, grinning. "You'd just be so sex deprived you'd start humping furniture."

Rowen gasped playfully, eyes widening as he flung a hand to his forehead dramatically. "Oh, woe is me. Inanimate sex partners."

A small smack was heard as the Wildfire Guardian slapped her lover on his stomach. "Shut up and finish packing."

The two soon erupted into mirth filled laughter, making snide remarks back and forth as they continued to pack.

* * *

Thunder held onto Hana as they stood within his room. Neither wanted to let go, and yet both knew they would need to. Hana had college in two weeks and her duties as a Lady Guardian, and Thunder had to go into proper education on dealing with Germany and how it was properly ruled.

"I can't believe the time went so quickly," Hana said as she laid her head on his chest. She felt his hand brushing her hair back as his other hand was on her hip. "I wish I did not have to leave."

"I wish I could go with you," Thunder replied. A wistful sigh escaped his lips as he reminisced their times together. He could not believe the very woman he had been afraid of was the one he had fallen in love with.

Hana lifted her head to gaze into his eyes. She was touched. Truly he was a caring boy. She could see the love and tenderness in his eyes and her heart soared. She was truly in love with him. "You're so sweet," she breathed softly.

"Not as sweet as you," Thunder replied. He bent his head further and their lips met. Hana could feel her loins burning and she had to force herself from exclaiming, take me now! She knew that it was better to wait until they both felt ready, and she sincerely hoped that marriage would come out of it as well. She wanted to spend the rest of her life as his wife.

* * *

Sage ran a hand through his hair as he studied the contents of his suitcase. He had packed so much stuff that now it was extremely difficult to close the lid. He grunted. Thinking of an alternative, he unpacked and decided instead of folding his clothes he would roll them. Doing it this way, he found he had saved more space into his suitcase. Finally finishing he stood and stretched.

Looking toward the window he viewed the outside. It was cloudy and no doubt it would rain later this evening. A thousand thoughts entered his mind. '_I can't believe what happened. At times I still feel guilty for allowing myself to be taken over like that. I feel horrible for almost killing Hana. I know I've been forgiven, but it's not easy. Hana and I will have to live in the same house. How will she able to see me each day?'_

He had no answer to that question, but would take each day as it came. There was no point in worrying about it now. For now he wanted to finish getting ready and find Flash. He picked up his suitcase and turned and walked out the door.

Going down the hall, he passed a few servants and nodded in greeting to them. Coming to a door, he politely knocked. Moments later the door opened. He smiled at the one who had answered. "Hello."

"Hi!" Flash exclaimed brightly as she opened the door wider and stepped back to give him room to enter. He went inside and followed her further into the room. He saw one suitcase packed and smiled.

"Already packed, I see," he said as he set his own suitcase down.

"I finished not long ago," Flash replied as she ran a hand through her hair and surveyed the room. "I feel like I'm forgetting something though."

"Like what?" Sage asked.

Flash shrugged as she continued to look around the room. Her hand instinctively went to her neck and she frowned. Her hand had reached bare skin. "Well, I know what's missing now."

"Your necklace," Sage supplied as his eyes went to her neck. "I'll help you look."

"Do you know what it looks like?" Flash asked.

"Golden cross right?"

"Yes."

The two began a thorough search through the room. The carpet was checked, table drawers, the bedding, the closet. Neither spoke to one another during this time. Sage hoped that either he or Flash would find her necklace as he knew how much it meant to her. It had been one of the gifts her mother had given to her just days before her murder. He knew if she did not find it she would become upset and he did not want her to feel that way.

A thought ran across his mind. Should he switch to Second Sight to help her find it? Or would that be considered cheating? He struggled with this inner turmoil as he felt it would be cheating, but also sacrificing for breaking the rule to help the woman he loved. Just as he decided to do it anyway, his eyes caught something glinting and he looked toward his left underneath the bed frame. A smile came to his lips as he reached his hand out. He grasped the necklace and pulled it out. "I found it."

Flash immediately turned with relief in her eyes. She watched as he stood and he handed it to her. "Thank you, so much!"

"You're welcome," he said. He helped her put the necklace on and stood back to admire it. "That is beautiful."

"Thank you," Flash replied with a smile. "I know it's old, but I've never lost it. Well, except for a few minutes today."

Sage nodded and then looked at the time. His eyes widened. "Hey, it's almost time to leave. We better get going." Flash followed his look to the clock and quickly went and grabbed her suitcase. Sage grabbed his own and the two walked out the door together.

* * *

Scorpio and Shades were waiting in the hall. Shades was impatient and wished the others would hurry up. She was tempted to leave the rec room to go after them.

Scorpio sighed to himself. How had he ever gotten stuck beside an impulsive person? He glanced at Shades and shook his head. "Would you relax? I'm sure they're coming."

"They better come on," Shades grumbled in reply. "I'd like to get there as soon as possible."

"You never were for patience were you?" Scorpio asked.

"Shut up," was Shades only answer.

"Don't get yourself into an uproar," Rowen said as he finally entered the room with Rekino beside him.

"Well, it's about time!" Shades exclaimed.

"Ah, shut up, Shades!" Rekino said as she made herself comfortable on the couch.

"Make me!" Shades retorted with a smirk.

"Don't worry about her, Shades," Rowen said. "She's a bit antsy about the trip return home."

"I have every right to be!" Rekino cried. "First, Kayura halted us in mid air… then when Blaze teleported us here, I came face to face with a spider, and not just with any spider, a tarantula! And those things can kill you!"

"Contrary to belief, a tarantula cannot kill a human being," Flash said as she and Sage entered the room. "The only way it might is if the person is severally allergic to the spider."

"How do you know?" Rekino demanded.

"I took biology a year ago," Flash replied with a shrug.

"Looks like she's got you there, Rekino," Sage said with a small chuckle.

Rekino's only answer to Sage was her middle finger.

Rowen shook his head and brought her hand down. "You're so polite," he stated sarcastically. Rekino smiled innocently at him and he chuckled. How much he truly loved her.

"Okay, so now we only have to wait for Hana," Flash stated.

"She's probably still locking lips with Thunder," Rekino said.

"If she doesn't come on, I swear I'll go and drag her ass out here!" Shades threatened.

Rekino laughed as if it was the funniest thing she had ever heard. "I'd pay see to that!"

"Oh yeah?" Shades turned and marched out the door.

"Oh boy," Flash muttered.

"She's really going to do it, isn't she?" Sage asked.

"When Shades gets an idea in her head, there's no stopping her," Flash replied.

* * *

Josephine fluffed Cye's pillow as he stared up at her. They had been home for quite a while now, and she had insisted on taking care of him. No matter how much he protested. His injuries, though not life threatening, were still serious and bed rest was in order.

"This isn't right," Cye insisted. "I should be taking care of you. After all, you're going to have our child."

"Cye, this baby isn't coming around for a while, you know. So quit complaining and just relax. Or am I gonna have to make you?" Josephine showed him her fist as she looked him squarely in the eye.

Cye stared at her for a long while, then at last sighed acquiescently. "Alright, fine. I'll rest. But when I get better, the tables will turn!"

Josephine smirked and nodded. "We'll see about that!" She did not want to admit, but she was afraid that Cye may be right. What if she really did need help later on in the future? She was used to being independent, taking matters into her own hands, and standing up for whatever she believed in, and defending those weaker than herself. She had even taught people how to stand up for themselves, just by hanging around them. She did not want to be considered weak, but she wondered if perhaps deep down she was. In truth she was afraid of having a child. She had seen the pain Mia had gone through and had witnessed Mia's own near death in which she and Amaya had quickly jumped to action to save her and Hiroshi. Would that happen to her?

On the other hand she was thrilled at having Cye's baby. She wondered how it would turn out. Would it be a boy or a girl? She wasn't sure which gender she'd preferred, but would it matter? She would love it all the same, wouldn't she? Her main concerns were important ones, however. Would it be healthy? Would it inherit Cye's or her traits and powers? Would it be good, or evil? She shuddered to think it would turn out evil. It was one of the things she feared more than anything and she would do everything in her power to keep that from happening.

"So how are Amaya and Kento?" Cye asked, changing the subject.

Josephine shrugged. "Well, they're talking things over, but Amaya still feels hurt. I know because of our link. I know Kento didn't mean to say the things he said, but as I've said before actions speak louder than words. He's such a clout. But Amaya loves him and I know he loves her. He needs to learn how to show it better."

"Kento's always had a hard time showing that emotion. Amaya's the first girl to ever fall for him. Usually the girls go for Sage or Ryo," Cye answered in Kento's defense.

"Heh," Josephine said with a small smile. "Kento could win more girls if he'd show more politeness and charm rather than acting like a pig and wanting to fight all the time. How do you think I fell for you?"

"You were a guy before?" Cye teased.

Josephine smacked him playfully in an uninjured area. "You jackass."

* * *

Kento and Amaya sat side by side on the sofa. They were alone in the living room and neither had spoken. Kento felt awkward as he kept his head down and his hands folded, but rubbed them against one another. From time to time he would glance nervously at Amaya.

Amaya did not look at Kento. Her heart was in two. She had felt genuine concern for him when he and Cye had the crash, and though injured, she had not attempted to force Kento into bed as Josephine had done with Cye. But on the other hand, she still felt hurt from his words. How would she ever forget them? She knew deep down he loved her, but why could he not show it more effectively? She did not want to admit, but she felt envious of Cye's and Josephine's relationship. Why could she and Kento not have the same?

But then she realized it was because they were not the same. They were completely two different couples. Perhaps Kento only needed to be shown how to be more loving toward her. Or maybe she had never given him a chance to properly show it.

The silence was bothering Kento. Why couldn't either of them say anything? Finally he raised his head to look at her. She really was beautiful, and so fragile. At first when they had gone out together he had been afraid to touch her, afraid she might break. But she had shown him just how strong she could be. But now her facial expression showed more than just strength. It showed pain.

"Amaya…" Kento began slowly.

"Yes?" Amaya replied as she half glanced at him.

"I..."_ Damn it! Why was this so hard!_ Kento kept an inner growl of frustration within himself. He truly wanted to apologize to her and make it up to her, but how could he? Was he really that stubborn as to not say a simple: I'm sorry, please forgive me?

Amaya blinked, then sighed a bit impatiently. "Kento, whatever's on your mind, say it already."

"I'm trying to," Kento said, defensively.

"You didn't have any trouble with your words from earlier," Amaya said, quietly.

Ouch. That hurt. Kento flinched and looked away from her. The guilt of causing his beloved pain was worse than any blow he had felt from Talpa. He wanted to argue and defend himself as he normally would have done so, but now wasn't the wisest time to do so.

Sighing to himself, Kento stood up. His heart was torn in two and he hated to see the pain in her eyes. Unable to face her or even say a word to her, he turned and walked away.

Amaya watched him go as tears appeared at the corners of her eyes. Didn't he love her? Why had Josephine ever prevented her from going back to France? She would have been better off. Unable to control her emotions any further, she stood up from the couch and rushed to her room.

Mia jumped when she heard the slam of a door. She winced and quickly looked toward the couch. Ryo was lying on the couch with Hiroshi in his arms; both were asleep. Satisfied that neither had awoken, she wondered who had been upset. She was about to find out when Kento walked into the room. Seeing his sad disposition, she hesitated, then spoke softly, "Kento?"

"I blew it, Mia," Kento said with a disgruntled sigh. He leaned against the wall near the doorway and stared at the floor. His injuries did not bother him as much as the pain in his heart. He kept his eyes to the floor.

"What do you mean?" Mia kept her attention on him as she could about guess what had happened. She knew that Kento was never big with words, but she would help him in any way she could.

Kento could not tell Mia either, and it was a struggle within himself. He had never been a man able to say what was on his mind. Rather he preferred to be a man of action. But this time action may not help at all. "Amaya," he said at last. There. He had said something at least.

Mia put two and two together. "You two are having trouble?" Kento nodded without speaking, and Mia did some thinking. "Kento, I know at times you have a difficult time saying how you really care. That's your main point. You don't have a hard time throwing insults, because that's what you're used to. You'll have to start training yourself to say nice things to people. I mean, think about it, you tell Cye he can cook really well. And you tell Ryo he's a great leader."

"That's different," Kento muttered.

"Tell me how it is a different," Mia countered.

Kento shrugged and could not answer her.

Mia took a moment to do some reflective thinking, then had another idea. "Kento, what do you truly think of Amaya?"

Kento looked up at her now, a bit surprised she had asked that question. He was about to answer when Mia held her hand up, suggesting he take his time. He lowered his eyes to the floor and really thought of how he felt about his fiancée. He then began to see just what he thought of her. "Mia, I love her. She's kind, gentle, stands up for what she believes in. She's outgoing. She's not afraid to try new things, and she doesn't care all that much for her looks."

Mia nodded her head. "Anything else?"

"Yeah.. When someone has a problem, she listens to them. And she gives good advice." Kento smiled thoughtfully at that.

"See, was that so hard?" Mia inquired.

"I guess not," Kento said with a sigh.

Mia glanced toward Ryo who had muttered in his sleep. She watched him momentarily until he had settled down again. Ryo had not awakened. She turned back to Kento. "Kento, what are the things you dislike about Amaya?"

Kento again took time to think on this one. A few minutes later, he shrugged. "To be honest, there isn't all that much. Well, except maybe one."

"And that is?"

"How she gets hysterical whenever someone cusses. I mean, I cringe each time she picks up a butcher knife and throws it at someone. I know she has good aim, but still…"

"I can see your point in that," Mia said with an understanding nod. "Kento, other than Amaya's emotional outbursts with the cussing, and the way she's acting now, you're both going to have to realize that some changes are in order. It takes two people to make a relationship work, not just one. My advice to you would be, if you can't speak the words, write them down. And be present when she reads them. This way she will know and understand how you really feel. Perhaps by doing so, you'll gain more encouragement to speak out."

Kento thought about what she said and nodded his head. A small smile and a grateful look overcame his face as he looked at her. "Thank you, Mia. I'll do that right now."

Mia watched him go and smiled. She was glad to have been able to help someone at least.

Kento closed the door behind him as he stepped inside Mia's studio. He did not come here often, but felt this time it was right. Searching the desk drawers he found what he was looking for. Laying the stationary and pen on the desk, he sat down in the chair and began to write.

'_Amaya, I know I hurt you very badly that day. I wish I could express in words from my mouth how truly sorry I am for hurting you. I've always had a hard time expressing how I truly care for someone, because I am so used to giving insults out to people I don't like. Mia suggested I train myself to be the opposite, but it's hard. I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing. Like I did today. Maybe you could teach me. You're so sweet and gentle and caring. Only one thing gets on my nerves, and that is your obsession with people cussing. I guess I can understand it, or at least attempt to. But it may take time for me to learn. For now, all I can say is: I'm sorry for hurting you. Will you please forgive me? Love always, Kento.'_

Kento folded the letter in half and looked for something to tape the edges together. He found no tape, but he did find heart stickers. Shrugging to himself, he took one and used it to seal the envelope. He then wrote Amaya's name on the front. Sighing, he stood up from the desk and left to find Amaya. He could only hope she would truly forgive him.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

Co-Author's Note: Long time no see. Be afraid! Be very afraid!

Disclaimer: What? See previous chapters.

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Unexpected Consequences

Chapter 26

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King Thaitus had his hands full. After the war with the Roman Empire, and the ridding of the evil sorcery behind it all, he had assigned assistants to help with the cleanup. The city was a mess and it caused him to feel older beyond his years.

And now there was the royal training of his son. Thaitus knew he would not always be alive, and that someday Thunder would have to exceed his place and take the royal throne.

Thaitus sighed as he stood before the large windows with his hands resting on the ledges. He felt so torn and so tired. Why did these things always happen? There seemed to be no reasoning behind such nonsense, and yet there was. He knew there was always reasoning behind every action, no matter how preposterous. He had been rough on Thunder, perhaps too rough. And he had been against Hana Rai-Utano too. But after everything that had happened, Thaitus realized the young woman was perhaps the best thing that happened to his only child.

Marriage. There was a strong possibility of that in the future. And Thaitus knew that he and Lila desired to see it take place. But it was yet too soon. For Thunder would need to learn the ways of the country, the people, and more. And Thaitus would help him through it. And so, the king turned to find his son.

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Rekino felt excited. After a long and tiring journey she and the other Guardians were returning to Japan. The thought of seeing her nephew Hiroshi and spoiling him rotten enhanced her excitement, and she wondered if she should buy him something before leaving the country. But what to buy him? A stuffed teddy? No. Those were overrated. A stuffed bunny? Cute, but bunnies seemed more for girls. So what then? She sighed. This was so complicated. If only she was better at deciding.

Come to think of it, where was Flash? She looked toward the older girl who was leaning against the wall with Sage. So far all of them were waiting for Shades to return with Hana. She smiled lightly. It was funny how things often turned out unexpectedly. Rekino had learned a lot in the last few months. And she felt all of them had changed.

But she wondered how long that change would last.

Scorpio suddenly coughed several times. His throat was drying up quickly and he looked around for water. But there was none. He felt sweaty and knew he had to get water immediately. The coughing increased.

Rekino looked toward him with an eyebrow raised. "Bad cold?" she asked.

Scorpio shook his head as he coughed even more. Water. He needed it now. He hurried toward the door as the coughing began to sound more like choking. His face had turned quite pale, and now he had alarmed Rekino.

Rekino looked back toward Flash. "Flash, something's up with Scorpio!"

Flash looked from Sage's attention and toward her small friend. She immediately frowned as she hurried toward him. "Scorpio!"

But she was too late. A gasping sound came out of Scorpio's mouth, and he suddenly fell to the floor.

"Oh, shit!" Rekino shouted.

Sage gasped and Rowen couldn't believe his eyes. They surrounded Scorpio's body, and Flash gently turned him over. Scorpio's face was pale white and his skin looked as if it was drying up quickly.

"What's the matter with him?" Rowen asked in concern.

"He needs water!" Flash cried out.

"Water?" Rowen leapt to his feet and ran out the door as fast as he could. Sage knelt down beside Flash as he studied Scorpio's unconscious form.

"Flash, give me room. Maybe I can help him until Rowen gets back with the water," Sage said quietly.

Flash nodded as she bit her bottom lip. She backed up and stood beside Rekino with her lip quivering. Why hadn't Scorpio told them he was getting thirsty? And where was his water canteen? He was always supposed to have it! Damn! Why did this happen to begin with?!

Rekino placed an arm around Flash's shoulders. She felt bad. Perhaps she should have spoken up sooner. But then, she didn't even know what was going on. Life sucked like that. One bad thing after another it seemed.

Sage poured his healing power into Scorpio, hoping to keep him from slipping further. It wasn't easy work, because he could see the cause of Scorpio's condition. He did not know the name of it, if there even was a name, but Scorpio's body had a condition dehydrating faster than it should have.

He continued to pour his power into Scorpio. The bearer of Current was a fighter, but how long could he last? Where was Rowen anyway?

At last Rowen returned with a large glass of water. "Sorry!" he apologized as he handed Sage the water. Sage took the water and Flash moved to help sit Scorpio up. Together, they helped the unconscious boy swallow some water.

Rekino sucked in a breath. Would it work? There seemed to be no movement from Scorpio and her heartbeat quickened.

Flash, Sage, and Rowen watched carefully as they kept their fingers crossed. It had to work. Time seemed to take too long, and it felt as if Scorpio would slip further away. But then, his eyelids fluttered and he made a twisted face. He suddenly coughed.

"Scorpio!" Flash cried with relief.

"Is he okay?" Rekino asked.

"He has to be," Rowen answered as he watched the small Warrior.

Scorpio slowly opened his eyes and looked at everyone in a daze. He was exhausted, but alive. Seeing their concerned looks, he automatically knew. "I did it again," he spoke weakly.

"Damn right you did!" Rekino said angrily. She tapped her finger against his chest as her amethyst purple eyes flashed. She felt Rowen place a hand on her shoulder, but she could barely keep calm. He needed to be scolded; in her opinion at least.

"I'm sorry," Scorpio repeated.

"It's okay, Scorpio," Flash cut in. "Sometimes things happen that aren't preventable. Can you sit up?"

"I can try," Scorpio answered.

Sage moved around to help him, and soon Scorpio was sitting up with his back to the wall. He held the glass of water in his hand.

"Looks like our return home has been slightly postponed," Sage said, quietly as he kept an eye on Scorpio.

The others nodded. Not only did they have to wait for Scorpio to regain his strength, but they had to wait for something else. Where were Hana, Shades, and Thunder?

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Ryo could not put his son down, even if he had wanted to. Hiroshi had taken to him quite easily, and now father and son were playing quietly on the floor. Ryo rolled a red ball to his son, and Hiroshi giggled as he placed his small hands on it. He tried to pull himself into a seated position as his legs wobbled slightly.

"That's a good boy, Hiroshi," Ryo said proudly. "Soon, your legs will be tough enough to kick something!"

"Gah!" Hiroshi spoke as he drooled on the ball.

Ryo smiled and watched him. Hiroshi was about five months old, and it seemed he was getting stronger everyday. From the time he was born, he had an inner strength, and that was growing as well. But what the bearer of Wildfire worried about the most was would Hiroshi be the next Wildfire?

"Ryo, could you come here?" Mia called from the kitchen.

Ryo scooped Hiroshi into his arms and went to the kitchen. He found Mia cutting up tomatoes for dinner. "Hi, dear."

"Hi," Mia said with a smile. "Ryo, I need a big favor."

"Sure. Anything for you."

"Can you go to the store and pick up these items?" Mia reached to her left and picked up a list, and handed it to Ryo. She went back to chopping tomatoes.

Ryo stared at the list, and then checked his wallet for money. Seeing he had money, he looked at his son. "How about it, little guy? Want to go to the store with me?" Hiroshi cooed and laughed. Ryo smiled and looked at Mia. "I'm taking Hiroshi with me." He turned and left the kitchen with Hiroshi in his arms.

Mia smiled as she scooped the chopped tomatoes and placed them into a large bowl. Ryo was making a fine father.

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Shades was getting more than annoyed. She had been standing outside Thunder's door, knocking for what seemed the hundredth time. All she could hear was giggles from Hana and a chuckle from Thunder. While it was great that Thunder had finally found a girlfriend, he still had a responsibility. And so did Hana. Everyone was waiting for Hana so they could leave and return home.

Home. Her real home was in Russia. She had written her mother a few letters and was pleased to learn how Kurk and Leah were doing. Someday, she would have to visit them. Maybe this summer.

She pounded on the door again. "Hana! Thunder!"

Waiting was so irritating.

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Hana sighed as her eyes rolled to the ceiling. She had been curled up against Thunder who had been kissing her neck when they heard the knocking and Shades' impatient cry. "She's so persistent."

Thunder smiled, but agreed with her. He had known Shades for a while now, and knew she could be the hot head one out of all the friends he had. When Shades wanted something, she didn't give up until she got it. The meaning of back down had no effect on Shades.

"She is," Thunder said. He sighed. He knew the time had come for Hana to go, and he didn't want her to. He wanted her to stay with him forever, but sadly, that wasn't to be. "Do you know when I'll see you again?"

"Soon, I hope," Hana answered. "I don't want to leave, but the other Lady Guardians need me. And Rekino will kill me if I don't go."

"Rekino, Flash, and Shades are so stubborn in their ways," Thunder mused as he and Hana stood up.

"Tell me about it," Hana muttered. "Those three could start War World Three alone."

The knocking came again. There was no use in ignoring it, so they headed to the door and opened it.

"It's about time!" Shades declared. "Do you have any idea how long I've been standing here knocking?"

"Um, quite a while?" Hana guessed.

"Ten minutes!" Shades replied with her arms crossed in annoyance.

"Wow, I didn't realize you had that much patience," Thunder stated.

"Oh, shut up," Shades retorted as she gave him an annoyed look.

Thunder only smiled in reply as he and Hana followed Shades down the hall.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

It didn't seem fair to Amaya that life had to be so difficult. The feelings of pleasure and pain were nothing new to her, and yet she felt that this time the pain was different. It did not compare to the time she had been tortured when she had first been captured. It seemed worse, because it was affecting her spirit directly. It cut deep into her soul and burned like the fires of hell.

The young French woman jumped at a soft knock at her door. Clearing her throat, she wiped her tears away before opening it. She started at her lover.

"Ken-"

He bowed quickly, holding up a letter, "I wrote this for you. Please, read it."

Amaya stared at him for a moment before taking the letter from his outstretched arms. She opened it with shaky hands and read the contents inside not once, but twice to make sure she understood its meaning. It was a habit of hers from her religious upbringings.

She put a hand to her mouth, tears forming again, "Kento, I don't know what to say."

"If you don't forgive me, I completely understand!" The Warrior of Hardrock stood to his full height. "I was belligerent and rude. I-"

His words were cut short when Amaya flung her lithe body at him and placed a kiss to his lips. He recoiled for a second before wrapping his strong arms around her, kissing back.

When they pulled apart, he smirked at her redden cheeks, "Did they teach you that at bible study?"

She smacked him. Hard. "Don't joke about such things, Kento Rei Faun!"

"Ow, ow. Okay, no more cracking on the bible."

The Mistress of Torrent couldn't help but smile nonetheless, "I think it's time we start those lessons, _mon chéri_."

Kento was about to question her French phrase before he was pulled into the room. Down the hall, Mia smiled happily when she heard the door lock click and decided not to call them down for supper.

Well, Kento would be down at any rate. He was a blood hound when it came to food.

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Back in Germany, Scorpio had seemed to be regaining his strength fine when Shades, Hana, and Thunder walked into the room. Rekino looked over her shoulder and smirked.

"About time. Flash and I were about to send out a search party."

Shades grumbled, gave Rekino the finger, and walked past everyone. Thunder moved away from Hana and went to his best friend, looking him over.

"What happened?" He inquired.

Rowen shrugged, "I don't know what you would call it."

"He went too long without water and didn't tell anyone," Flash said in an irritated manner. She wasn't mad at Scorpio, she was just slightly annoyed at the fact he didn't inform anyone that he needed water.

The Current Warrior smiled sheepishly, "I'm sorry, okay? It just hit me suddenly."

"Here," Thunder knelt down beside him, "let me help. You can't go home on half a tank of strength."

The others laughed at the prince's snide remark. They noticed the air around Thunder to be slightly different. They didn't know if Hana had been the cause or what, but he seemed more—relaxed.

"You ready to go, Guardian?" Sage looked in Hana's direction. He could feel her wide spread emotions through the link and it moved his own spirit to a certain degree. He figured she was going to be upset, but _this_ upset?

The Mistress of Halo took in a deep breath and straightened out her shoulders, "Indeed. I'm all packed and ready. I'm kind of getting home sick."

Rekino's eyes moved slowly in her comrade's direction. The Guardian of Wildfire sure as hell wasn't a mind reader, but she knew Hana was lying through her teeth about being okay with the trip home. To be honest, she wasn't too happy herself. She and Flash had become close friends and she hated to leave her new buddy and go back to boring ole Toyama.

_Hana_, Rekino said through the link, _don't lie. It causes stress and stress causes wrinkles._

_Shut up._

"Welp," Shades broke the silence, "since we're all here now, let's chop chop."

It took about ten minutes for everyone to gather their luggage in the middle of the living room. Once there, the seven armored warriors said their goodbyes to Thunder. Scorpio was first, of course. He took him into a big bear hug.

"Write me, okay? Tell me everything! Don't leave out a single detail!"

Thunder smiled, "I will."

Flash stepped up and wrapped her arms around Thunder's neck, kissing his cheek, "You better call me too. I'd hate to come over here and unleash the fires of hell on you!"

"She'll do it too!" Shades joined in the group hug. "Send me a souvenir or something. And keep in touch."

He hugged them both tightly, "I'll do just that."

Sage stepped up and clamped his hand with Thunder's before bringing him in for a hug, patting his back, "Let's let the past be the past and work toward a future together, right?"

"Sure thing," Thunder smiled and leaned in to whisper in Sage's ear. "Take care of Hana for me, please."

Sage pulled back and nodded to let Rowen and Rekino say their goodbyes. Rowen copied Sage and brought the German in for a quick, manly hug.

"Take it easy, buddy."

"Roger."

Rekino hugged him briefly as well, patting his shoulder as she pulled back, "Don't become a stranger. Call us too sometime, my brethren! I'm gonna miss seeing you're fluffy hair, man."

Thunder smiled affectionately and ruffled her hair, "And I'm going to miss my arm prop."

"Hey!" The Guardian of Wildfire huffed, crossing her arms. "No short jokes."

Everyone laughed for a second until Thunder turned to the last person to bid farewell too—his beloved Hana. She stood there, her midnight blue eyes shining in the light and rimmed with tears. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her stance rigid. He could tell she was fighting with her emotions because he was too.

"Hana…"

She held up a hand, "I've never been one for goodbyes. So, let's just leave it at 'I'll be seeing you', okay?"

Thunder closed the distance between them and took her into his arms. He didn't want to let her go. She was his Angel in disguise, the reason for his existence now. She wrapped her arms around him and her body shook, but she didn't shed one tear.

"Hana," he whispered in her ear, "_Ich liebe Dich_." He heard her breath hitch in her throat before replying.

"_Ich liebe Dich auch_."

Blaze appeared in the room during the emotional scene and announced that for everyone to gather together so he could teleport them. Thunder and Hana didn't want to let go, but, in the end, they knew they had to part.

But at least it wasn't forever.

"Hana," Rekino reached out and put a hand on her fellow guardian's shoulder, "it's time."

The Guardian of the Armor of Light/Thunder nodded briefly before pulling away from her beau. She placed a chaste kiss to his lips before intertwining their hands. She pressed a small piece of paper into his hand before turning away. As she turned, Thunder noticed a glimmer of something in the light. He realized that it was her tears finally coming out. Thunder watched in sadness as his friend and new girlfriend teleported out of his sight, waving to them as he did so.

"_Auf Wiedersehen, mein Liebling_."

The German Prince clenched his fists in anger when he noticed something in his hand. He had been oblivious to it when Hana was leaving. He quickly unfolded it and almost cried at the words written on the small piece of paper.

"'_Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.' I'll see you again, Thunder. Don't ever forget: I love you. Yours truly and faithfully, Hana Rai-Utano._"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The epilogue is next! Keep a look out for it!

Translations

mon chéri – French. "My darling".

Ich liebe Dich - German. "I love you".

Ich liebe Dich auch – German. "I love you too".

Auf Wiedersehen, mein Liebling – German. "Goodbye, my darling." (Note: Could come out as "Goodbye, my favorite".)


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer**: Some we own, others we don't. If you can't figure out which ones we don't own, I feel sorry for you.

_Unexpected Consequences_

Epilogue.

Hana sighed perhaps for the millionth time since she and the others had made it back to Japan a week ago. It seemed that everyone was happy except she. Even Sage, who had bid farewell to Flash as she was returning back to San Francisco along with Shades and Scorpio, was happy.

She stared at the framed photo taken of Thunder and herself as they had enjoyed royal ball the day the photograph was snapped. It was a treasure she would always cherish. But now it seemed as if her heart had been broken. What was there to look to if she couldn't be with her man?

Her man.

While she and Thunder had never been fully intimate, she wouldn't have minded giving herself to him, and at times she wished she had.

A knock sounded at her door, but she did not answer. Tears streamed down her face and palpitated against the frame. She missed him so much! But did he feel the same way? She wanted to call him, but she felt so unsure.

The knock came again, louder.

"Hana!" Rekino bellowed. "Get your ass downstairs now! Dinner's ready!"

"No swearing!" Amaya shouted from downstairs.

"Ah, bite me, Amaya!"

"I'm not hungry, Rekino," Hana called back through the closed door.

Rekino scowled and tried to manipulate the door into opening. "Hana, you didn't eat dinner last night, you skipped breakfast; you need to eat!"

"I said I'm not hungry!" Hana shouted. Her body trembled as she clutched the photo frame to her chest.

Rekino scowled in frustration and stamped her foot. "Fine! Starve!" The Guardian of Wildfire stormed away, huffing indignantly as she did.

Hana listened to the footsteps fade away as she silently cried in the comfort of her room.

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Rekino sat down at the table with a huff and slammed her fist down on the table. As everyone stared, she muttered, "She claims she's not hungry. Damn, I knew she missed him, but I didn't think she'd want to starve herself!"

"That seems so unlike her," Sage said with a frown. "Maybe I should talk to her."

"Good luck," Rekino muttered as she started eating.

Sage only smiled as he excused himself and left the table. The others continued to eat and talk. Rowen and Rekino began to talk about their upcoming marriage ideas. Ryo and Mia discussed Hiroshi's future, such as when he would attend preschool and where. Kento and Amaya and Cye and Josephine blended ideas together concerning their pregnancies and upcoming births. So many conversations going on at the same time, it was surprising no one became confused at who was speaking what.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sage stood outside the closed door to Hana's room and knocked. Even standing out in the hall, he could feel Hana's emotions. The pain and loneliness she felt were the same as his own, but he knew she shouldn't allow it to control her.

He knocked again. "Hana?"

"Go away, Sage."

"No, I will not go away," Sage said stubbornly. "We need to talk, and I will continue to knock on this door until you open it and let me in." The Ronin of Halo went silent as he waited.

Hana sat there in silence. She did not wish to be bothered, but she knew that Sage could be more stubborn than Rekino, Ryo, and Josephine put together when he wanted to be. But why should he care? It was obvious that Flash's departure did not bother him in the least. In fact, he hadn't even called her. It was she who called him first

But how could Sage understand her feelings? Guys weren't as emotional as girls. They didn't understand. And Sage would not understand her need to be with him. Oh how she missed Thunder.

Sage had enough. There was no more waiting for Hana to unlock the door. He was going in. He reached into his shirt pocket and took out a pin and used it to unlock the door. It was a trick his grandfather had taught him when he was young and it had come in handy.

"Hana!"

Hana gasped as she looked at him with surprised eyes. How had he managed to get in her room?

"Get out, Sage!"

The Ronin of Halo stood his ground, crossing his arms over his chest. "No."

The blonde frowned, "Go."

"Make me."

"Damnit, Sage!" She threw a pillow at him before throwing herself down on the bed dramatically. "Leave me the hell alone!"

With silent steps, Sage walked towards the bed and sat on the other side. He looked at Hana and took in her appearance. Where her body once was lithe and curvy it was now losing any signs of curve. The width of her arms were shrinking. Her curly hair, of all things, looked brittle and dry where it once shinned with beauty.

He sighed audibly, "Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Hana muttered something in the confines of her pillow. Despite the fact that Sage had good hearing he couldn't understand a single syllable of what she attempted to say.

"I know you miss him, Hana. Hell, I miss Flash," he scooted closer to her, "but I'm not depriving myself of food and what not because I do. Flash would kill me if I moped around here and didn't eat. Personally, I think she'd get Blaze to teleport her here just so she could scream at me in person."

The blond noticed the sobs started to die down. Tentatively, he reached over and started to rub her back in smooth, gentle strokes.

"Thunder asked me to take care of you, Hana. I made a promise to him that I wouldn't let anything happen to you. Now, you've got two options. Either you can start taking care of yourself _or_ I'm going to make a very expensive call to Germany to give my report to his highness."

Hana pivoted her head to where only one blood shot midnight blue iris was shining in the dim light, "I hate you."

"No, you don't. You just hate that I'm right and you know that I will call and tattle on you."

The Guardian of Halo put her face back into the pillow again, but not before slugging Sage in the upper arm. "Go to hell."

Sage gave Hana an indigent look from his silver eye(s) before Josephine's voice bellowed from downstairs.

"HANA! TELEPHONE!"

When the blonde was about to shout that she didn't want to talk to anyone, she heard Josephine say that it was her beloved. The two Halo's exchanged glances before they both raced towards the door to go downstairs. Sage managed to beat her by jumping over the rail. Hana cursed him fanatically in her head.

Sage took the phone from Josephine and shooed the Guardian of Hardrock away, "Thunder, buddy. How's it been going? Oh, Hana? Yeah, she's coming, but I figured I would let you know how she's been doing."

_I'm going to rip his balls off. I'm sure Flash wouldn't mind!_ Hana attempted to get the cordless phone from the older teen, but Sage kept dodging her while trying to spill the beans to Thunder that she hadn't been doing all too well with being away from him.

"SAGE!" Hana huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "If you don't give me the phone I swear to GOD I'm gonna--"

The blond Ronin winked at his guardian before tossing the phone to her quickly, "Have fun."

Sticking out her tongue like a small child, Hana held the phone to her ear, "Thunder?"

She tried to imagine what he was doing right now. Was he sitting down or standing up? Were his lucious lips curving into a smile as he spoke to her? What was he wearing? She honestly hoped that he was wearing nothing and laying in bed touching himself as she spoke, but then she frowned at the thought. She didn't want him doing that unless she was there. And, too, she knew he would never do such a thing.

"Hana?"

Well, he might, but that was neither here nor there.

"Are you doing well?"

The Mistress of Lightning shook her head while trying to get the derailed train that was her brain back on track, "I've...been doing okay."

"I got an email from Rekino yesterday. She said that you haven't been eating well. Is that true?"

Hana's hit list currently went from Sage to her leader. She was gonna hang that short woman by her black hair and proceed to beat her with a kendo stick. Then she was going to--

"Please don't do that."

"I just..."

"Hana," she could hear him breathe into the phone, the sound itself was so erotic to her that she almost stopped breathing herself. She heard something rustling as if he was attempting to switch positions.

Dear. Sweet. Jesus. He was laying down! Oh, the lucid thoughts that went through her head.

"Hana? Are you listening to me?"

"Huh?!" She whiped the dribble of drool from the corner of her mouth. "Yes, I'm listening."

The Warrior of Storm sighed into the phone, "No, you're not."

_Shit. I'm caught. Might as well tell him_. She smirked, "I'm sorry. Just the images I'm getting of you lying in bed is too tempting for me to focus."

"H-Hana!" She tried to suppress a giggle, "I'm trying to talk to you seriously and you're thinking about _that_?!"

"I'm sorry. I just can't help it. I miss you. I want to be near you. See you, touch you, taste you...it's like I'm missing part of my soul not being around you."

He sighed into the phone again, "I was calling to tell you the same thing. I miss you terribly, but we'll see one another soon. Even if I can't see you, hearing your voice is good enough for me."

Now she felt like a total bitch. How could she not think that he wasn't feeling the same way. Even if they were thousands of miles apart, she could tell that was missing her just as much as she was missing him. His voice gave it all away in the way he spoke solemn and quiet. She started to cry.

"I'm sorry, Thunder..."

"Please don't cry. Please. It hurts me that I cannot be there to comfort you," he paused briefly, "but, if you truly feel that way, start taking better care of yourself."

"I will!" She nodded her head furiously, trying to calm her quiet sobs.

"You have to promise. Promise me that you'll start taking better care of your body--the body that houses the soul that I love."

Before she could reply, a faint sound of someone call to Thunder in German distracted her. When he answered back, she stuck her tongue out with a star struck look on her face. How could one man be totally sexy when he's speaking a foreign language. The things she would do to him...

"I'm sorry, Hana, but I have to go. Father is requesting my presence."

"I understand," she wiped the tears from her eyes, sniffling a little into the phone. "Call me soon?"

"Yeah."

She smiled when he blew her a kiss into the phone, "_Ich liebe Dich_, Thunder."

"_Ich liebe Dich auch_, Hana."

She hung up the phone slowly and held it to her chest, looking up at the ceiling. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad being without him for a while. She could tolerate only talking to him on the phone. HEY! He was rich so maybe he should invest in a web cam. She would tell him that next time so that they could chat on the internet and get a visual. Ooh, to see him with his shirt off...

"HEY, BLONDIE! Are you gonna get in here and eat or do I hafta kick your ass?"

"_Rekino_!"

"Sorry, Amaya. Sorry."

With a new outlook, Hana got up from her seat to go and join her fellow comrades in arms for supper. Of course, she'd have to sit and watch the four other couples love and hug on one another, but it would be okay. She and Sage were both going through the same thing right now, so they could always lean on one another for support.

Besides, she had a certain ebony haired fire mistress to yell at.

----------------

_**FIN**_

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**AN**: Hey guys, it's Winter and Firestorm coming at ya! Just thought we'd let you guys know that there's a sequel up, Sweet Affliction, and we want you guys to go and read it now! No waiting!!

Title: Sweet Affliction

Authors: Solitude Whispers and Firestorm

Rating: T that will change to M

Summary: Old enemies return from the pasts of the Ronin Warriors, Lady Ronin Guardians, and the Warriors. Old allies and new armors will all join forces to defeat this evil. Unfortunately, they're holding a trump card against all of the mystical armored warriors and she just happens to be with child.

(Remove the spaces in the URL to access the story)

http: / / www . fanfiction. net / s / 5091307 / 1 /


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